Though shrouded in mystery, Leonardo da Vinci's creation known as the "Mona Lisa" is the most recognized and reproduced image from the art historical record. Scientists, scholars, writers, and poets have philosophized and voiced countless theories concerning technical aspects of the painting, the sitter's identity, her social class, and the meaning behind her famous smile. One significant aspect of this work that is seldom discussed is the figure's simple, yet classically elegant attire. Her manner of dress is unusual for portraiture in the Renaissance era and provokes further questions as to da Vinci's intent. Is the Mona Lisa simply an unusual portrait of a wealthy merchant's wife? Was she meant to personify a religious figure, or is this painting simply the culmination of da Vinci's quest to accurately capture the natural unadorned beauty of the sitter and the landscape beyond?

"Her hair, shoulder length, is wrapped in a translucent veil. She wears a sober, dark dress. Her left shoulder is adorned by a thickly pleated mantle. Her neckline reveals the inception of her breasts. She wears no jewels. She Smiles."2

In Becoming Mona Lisa, author Donald Sassoon explains that the identity of the sitter for this famous work was not questioned until the twentieth century.3 Andre Charles Coppier, a distinguished engraver, suggests that the sitter was not simply a Florentine wife, but an idealized person.4 A wealth of information exists to support this theory that is directly related to the way in which the figure is dressed. Renaissance portraits of Florentine women traditionally reflect the social status and familial role of the sitter.5 A wealthy merchant like Francesco del Giocondo (Lisa's husband), would have been an appropriate patron for da Vinci as it was common for the wealthy to commission well established artists to paint portraits of their wives.6 However, in this piece, the figure lacks the traditional symbols of status present in the majority of these works. The figure is completely unadorned. Joanna Woods-Marsden writes "Although she came from a family with only a modest income, and her small dowry of 170 florins may have included few jewels, it seems inconceivable that any husband active…in the marketplace would have concurred with this suppression of all markers of rank."7 Raphaels work "Pendant Portrait of Maddalena Strozzi, wife of Angelo Donni" provides an excellent contrast to da Vinci's work and illustrates Marsden's point. Raphael's piece was clearly influenced by da Vinci's masterpiece, however the two works are very different. Da Vinci's figure is displayed "as a beautiful work of nature," while Raphael's portrait seeks to accentuates his sitter's status and position in society (Figure 1). For example, Raphael copied Leonardo's depiction of crossed hands, but in this case, the device works to accentuate and effectively display the sitters jewel encrusted rings.8

It may be argued that the Mona Lisa figure's lack of jewelry and the simplicity of her toga-like attire is characteristic of fifteenth century sacred imagery. Similar costumes can be found in da Vinci's sacred works including "The Last Supper"(Figure 2) and "The Virgin of the Rocks (Figure 3)."9 Roy McMullen, author of Mona Lisa: The Picture and the Myth suggests that da Vinci may have intended the figure to be representative of a female saint. He writes, "Viewers with a minimum of experience with Renaissance religious pictures can easily imagine that her feet are bare, or shod in antique sandals."10 McMullen also points out that a recently discovered inventory of da Vinci's manuscripts and drawings made for sale in 1614 include a listing for a cartoon described as a "lady saint" drawn from a living model.11 This may also be the case in da Vinci's Mona Lisa, but it is not clear for she lacks attributes traditionally associated with depiction's of the Madonna and saints (e.g. St. Catherine is depicted with a wheel and traditional Annunciation scenes depict Mary with a book
(Figure 4).12 Instead, da Vinci's figure sits empty handed and alone. The only decoration or ornamentation present is located on the bodice of the figure's garment. Here the artist has depicted a "looping cloverleaf pattern" along the neckline of the dress (Figure 5).13 Da Vinci often drew elaborate entwined knots and painted them as details in numerous works (Figure 6).14 These patterns were stylized depiction's of the rushes that grew on the banks of a local steam called the Vincio. These rushes, referred to as vinci were often braided and woven in the Tuscan countryside. Stylized vinci are a recurring motif in da Vinci's art.15 His use of the vinci motif in the Mona Lisa is significant because it is the only decorative embellishment depicted, and the design itself is based on a pattern derived from nature. This spare use of any sort of ornamentation is in keeping with da Vinci's writing's on beauty in his Treatise on Painting. He writes:

"Do you not see that, among human beauties, it is a very beautiful face and not rich ornaments that stop passers-by?…Do you not see beautiful young people diminish their excellence with excessive ornamentation?…"16

Da Vinci often turned to nature as his source for painting as opposed to copying the pictures of others. He believed that to create from nature was to "practice its perfect and divine creative method."17 It is possible that the Mona Lisa was the end result of the artists efforts to marry his desires to depict nature (as seen in the background of the piece), and the unadorned beauty of his human subject.. If this was da Vinci's intent, he surely succeeded. One thing however, is for sure; the intrigue, mystery and sheer celebrity of the Mona Lisa is proof positive that clothes do NOT make the woman. It's definitely the other way around!

1 Vezzosi, Alessandro. Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance. New York: Abrams,1996. 137.
2 Sassoon, Donald. Becoming Mona Lisa. New York: Harcourt, 2001, 1.
3 Before the 20ith century Giorgio Vasari's account in his "Lives of the Artist's" was accepted as truth.
Vasari identified da Vinci's sitter as Lisa Gherardini Giocondo. Vasari, who was DaVinci's contemporary and is
considered the first art historian, never actually viewed the Mona Lisa. His description of the piece is believed to be second hand (Sassoon, 16 and 19.)
4 Sassoon, 16
5 Brown, David Alan, et al. Virtue and Beauty. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2001.12.
6 Sassoon, 39.
7 Brown, et al., 79
8 Brown, et al, 79
9 McMullen, Roy. Mona Lisa: The Picture and the Myth. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1975. 56-58.
10 McMullen, 56.
11 McMullen, 57.
12 McMullen, 57-58.
13 McMullen, 60.
14 Vezzosi, 18.
15 Vezzosi, 18.
16 Vezzosi, 137.
17 Vezzosi, 138-139.

Figure 1. Raphael Portrat of Maddalena Doni. 1505	Figure 2. Leonardo da Vinci The Last Supper (detail). 1498	Figure 3. Leonardo da Vinci Virgin of the Rocks (detail of the Angel). c.1483-85.
Figure 4. Leonardo da Vinci Annunciation (detail of Mary with her book). c.1470-75.	Figure 5. Leonardo da Vinci Mona Lisa (detail of embroidered bodice) 1503.	Figure 6. Vinci knot design (detail of engraved emblem of Leonardo's Achademia or circle of students).

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