excerpts

Giorgio Vasari records that the painting of ‘Monna Lissa del Giocondo’ was carried out when Leonardo returned to Florence. Of all his portraits, this one stands out as his masterpiece. Vasari states that Leonardo undertook to execute for Francesco del Giocondo, the portrait of Monna Lissa, his wife, and toiling over it for four years, he left it unfinished…’ MONNA LISSA DEL GIOCONDO Vasari goes on to inform us that Leonardo employed minstrels to play and sing to Monna Lissa w