Mona Lisa: value, insurance and history of the most famous painting
Everything you need to know about the Mona Lisa, one of humanity's most important works of art.
The Mona Lisa was commissioned for Leonardo da Vinci by Francesco del Giocondo, an Italian merchant. More than 500 years ago, Francesco wanted a portrait of his wife to decorate the dining room.
However, Da Vinci delayed delivery by almost three years - the artist's usual behavior.
When delivering the work, Da Vinci considered it unfinished and the market, angry with the long wait, refused to receive and pay for the painting, which was lost in the artist's studio.
Years later, the work of art that portrays Lisa Gherardini, born in Florence and who was 24 years old when the painting began to be painted, ended up on the wall of one of the bathrooms of Francis I, king of France, who paid 15 kilos of gold for the painting. At the end of the 18th century, Mona Lisa decorated the rooms of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was addicted to the work, at the Tuileries Palace. Finally, in the 19th century, the emblematic painting was incorporated into the Louvre's collection.
Can the work be sold? What is its market value?
Although it cannot be sold due to a French heritage protection law, in 2014 experts estimated the market value of the work at US$2.5 billion.
Belonging to the French people, the painting left the Louvre only twice, the first time was at the invitation of the First Lady of the United States, Jackie Kennedy, and the painting went by ship in a first class cabin alone, to be exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum (New York) and the National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC). Ten years later, it was presented in Japan and a few years ago, travel was completely banned and Mona Lisa could only be seen in the French museum.
Did she have insurance? Whats the value?
Monalisa is known for having had the most expensive insurance in history. In 1963, when it was on display in the United States, the insurance covered an amount of US$100 million, equivalent to US$865 million in current values. However, due to the incalculable value of the work and the difficulty in establishing a current price, some experts suggest that in recent years the painting no longer has traditional insurance. Instead, the funds allocated for insurance are invested in the safety and ongoing preservation of the work.
