Bidspirit auction | Follower of Leonardo Da Vinci:

Follower of Leonardo Da Vinci: Mona Lisa Prado - Follower of Leonardo Da Vinci (Italian, 1452-1519): After the Prado Mona Lisa. Oil on canvas, unsigned, undated, framed. The version of the Mona Lisa (Louvre) which is in the Museo Del Prado was painted by one of Leonardo’s pupils, probably Salai (1480-1524) or Francesco Melzi (1493-1572/3). The fact that each pentimento, or change, in Leonardo’s original (to the bust, outline of the veil and position of the fingers) is repeated in it suggests that the two works were created simultaneously. There are also differences with respect to the original, in the unfinished landscape and on the face. Overall, the panel in the Prado seems to reflect an intermediate stage in the creation of the Louvre painting. The finely-painted emulation presented in our auction is rare, in that it honors the lesser known version of the Mona Lisa in the Prado. Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. 32 x 24 inches framed; 27.75 x 20 inches canvas. Private collection, Marrakesh.