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How did the Mona Lisa become so famous?


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: It is true that a lot of the fame of the Mona Lisa is due to the fact that it created a huge stir when it was stolen. The image of the Mona Lisa was seen by millions of people who otherwise would never have seen it.

More importantly however, is the fact that all of this exposure served to highlite the fact that the Mona Lisa is an exceptionally beautiful and well crafted painting. Arguably Da Vinci's finest work, it is composed to focus on the fine detail of her face. Her enigmatic smile, her placid eyes, and her air of composure are rarely, if ever, as evident in other portraits of this period in my opinion.

Look at the way she is seated. It is obvious that she is posing, but the painting does not convey rigidity - it is very natural in a sense. The detail of her hands, the veil on her head, and the attention to light are the hallmarks of a masterpiece, and this is certainly one.

So while the publicity surrounding her theft in 1911 and return in 1913 may have brought her to wider public attention, the quality of the image itself is what has made her fame endure.