The Errant Æsthete

Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci, circa 1503–1506

Out of the Guardian, new information on the Mona Lisa’s famously enigmatic smile indicates it was originally wider and more expressive, according to new scans of the painting. Pascal Cotte, a French engineer, spent 3,000 hours analysing the data from the scans he made using a self-designed digital camera to uncover what he claimed were 25 secrets about Leonardo’s da Vinci’s portrait.

Other interesting facts revealed that Da Vinci changed his mind about:

• the position of two fingers on the Mona Lisa’s left hand;
• the presence of a blanket that had all but faded from view;
• lace on her dress;
• “blotches” on her chin and an eye were varnished marks.