FLORENCE, Italy (AP) – Scientific testing of bone fragments from a Florence church grave could not determine whether they are from the body of a Renaissance-era woman some believe was the model for Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” researchers said Thursday.
Perhaps as enigmatic as that Mona Lisa smile, the question of who might have been the model has intrigued art lovers for centuries.
Art historians differ on the model’s identity. Even if bone testing had determined that the remains were that of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of rich silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo, it wouldn’t have answered the intriguing question of who posed for Leonardo.
Some say he used a male model; still others theorize the artist did a kind of self-portrait in disguise or used several models.
Researchers told reporters in Florence that carbon-14 testing of one of the fragments indicated the remains were compatible with the period. Gherardini died at age 63 in 1542, and the researchers said historical documents indicate she was buried in a Florence convent.