Leonardo da Vinci used rare compound in making 'Mona Lisa': report
The famous "Mona Lisa" of Leonardo da Vinci used a rare compound not previously found in Italian Renaissance paintings, reinforcing the renowned painter's technical expertise and penchant for experimentation.
The Associated Press reported that scientists and art historians from France and Britain used X-rays to peer into the chemical structure of a tiny speck of "Mona Lisa."
They discovered plumbonacrite, a byproduct of lead oxide, in the first layer of paint, confirming for the first time the long-standing hypothesis that Leonardo most likely used lead oxide powder to thicken and help dry his paint as he began working on his magnum opus.
The research was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on Oct. 11.
“He was someone who loved to experiment, and each of his paintings is completely different technically,” Victor Gonzalez, the study’s lead author, told AP. “In this case, it’s interesting to see that indeed there is a specific technique for the ground layer of ‘Mona Lisa.'”
Carmen Bambach, a curator at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art who wasn't involved in the study, called the research “very exciting," as it renders Leonardo "timeless and modern."
For Bambach, any scientifically proven new insights into Leonardo’s painting techniques are “extremely important news for the art world and our larger global society.”
Gonzalez also said Dutch painter Rembrandt may have also used plumbonacrite.
“It tells us also that those recipes were passed on for centuries,” he said. “It was a very good recipe.”
He said there are "plenty, plenty" more things to discover in "Mona Lisa" and Leonardo's other works.
