Mona Lisa

The Mysterious Smile

Many people think that Leonardo da Vinci's "The Mona Lisa", is just a potrait of the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a wealthy Florentine merchant. But certain researchers claim that her enigmatic smile hides some startling surprise.

Why is this painting so alluring ??? Dr Leopold Bellak, a psychology professor at New York University, has analysed her face using the Zone System, whereby each sides of the face are studied independently.

Bellak concludes that her full cheeks suggest sensual indulgence and her weak chin implies a lack of self-control. However, American computer artist Lillian Schwartz and Maudsley Hospital registrar Dr Digby Quested believe that the painting is actually a mirror image of Leonardo da Vinci's own face.

When the picture was X-rayed to check its authenticity after it was stolen from the Louvre in 1911, it was found that Mona Lisa had apparently possessed a beard at one time, which was later painted over. Another shock came when Dr Kenneth Keale, a consultant at Ashford Hospital, Middlesex, analyzed the painting and concluded that the person depicted in this painting is heavily pregnant!

In the opinion of Japanese heart specialist Dr Haruo Nakamura, noting the yellow pigmentation in the corner of her left eye, the person posing for this picture possessed high cholesterol levels and could suffer a heart attack at any moment.