According to experts, this version of the Mona Lisa, painted less than a century after the original, more than lives up to its namesake. Fall for the charms of the Mona Lisa smile with SoBARNES and Artcurial, the auction house putting this marvel under the hammer on 9 November in Paris.
Would you too like to admire the smile of the Mona Lisa day after day from the comfort of your living room? Well that dream could become reality. More or less. We’re not talking about the true Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the early 16th century, which can only be seen at the Louvre. Nor a commonplace poster stuck to your wall with thumb tacks. We’re talking about a copy faithful to the original, painted around 1600 at Fontainebleau by an anonymous master of the French school. A marvel that auctioneer Matthieu Fournier talks about starry-eyed:
Matthieu Fournier has seen a vast array of copies in his career as an auctioneer. And rarely any of interest. But this one stands out from the rest, as he reveals to SoBARNES: “Imagine my amazement when I saw it for the first time, hung in the corridor of a family apartment! La Joconde is the most famous painting in the world, and before me was one of the finest versions ever discovered.” »
The Mona Lisa has provided an endless source of inspiration for artists over the centuries, starting with the followers of Leonardo da Vinci who attempted to reproduce her enigmatic smile and the painter’s sfumato technique. With varying degrees of success. “The painter of this Mona Lisa has relinquished their own style and technique to absorb the strokes of Leonardo da Vinci”, exclaims Matthieu Fournier. “The face, the serenity and of course the smile are portrayed to perfection”. »
But it’s still a copy, we hear you say. True, but in the 17th century, copies were the best way to pay tribute to an artist and enhance their reputation. The Flemish masters even made it into an industry in its own right! This “Portrait of Lisa Gherardini known as La Joconde or Mona Lisa” therefore deserves our full attention. And the auction will doubtlessly exceed the estimated €150,000 - €200,000 sale price.
After being displayed in Vienna, this 74x52 cm panel will be exhibited in Brussels and Paris before coming under the hammer on 9 November 2021. An event to put a smile on your face, naturally.
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Information :
On display at Artcurial Brussels from 27 to 29 October then in Paris from 5 to 8 November 2021. Auction Tuesday 9 November 2021 at 6pm.
Artcurial, 7, Rond-Point des Champs-Elysées, 75008 Paris – France / Artcurial.com
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