“The real Mona Lisa? Prado museum finds Leonardo da Vinci pupil’s take Prado says pupil painted remarkable portrait alongside Leonardo da Vinci, affording insight into how Mona Lisa actually looked …
A gallery spokeswoman confirmed it had what is the earliest copy and that its true origins were only recently discovered. “The work has been in restoration for several months in preparation for an exhibition at the Louvre [entitled Leonardo’s Last Masterpiece: The Sainte Anne]. The conservation process has not been finished. We are going to present the finished painting at the Prado in about three weeks.”
At a press conference in Madrid on Wednesday Gabriele Finaldi, the Prado’s deputy director collections, said: “It is as if we were in the same studio, standing at the next easel. You can imagine that this is what the Mona Lisa looked like back in the 16th century.”“
Source: The Guardian