25 Secrets of Mona Lisa Revealed

By Jeanna Bryner, LiveScience Staff Writer

posted: 18 October 2007 04:23 pm ET

Images of the Mona Lisa reveal hidden details in infrared and visible light. Credit: PRNewsFoto/RYP
Australia.

New images uncover 25 secrets about the Mona Lisa, including proof that Leonardo da Vinci

gave her eyebrows, solving a long-held mystery.

The images are part of an exhibition, "Mona Lisa Secrets Revealed," which features new

research by French engineer Pascal Cotte and debuts in the United States at the Metreon

Center in San Francisco, where it will remain through the end of this year. The Mona

Lisashowcase is part of a larger exhibition called "Da Vinci: An Exhibition of Genius."

Cotte, founder of Lumiere Technology, scanned the painting with a 240-megapixel Multi-

spectral Imaging Camera he invented, which uses 13 wavelengths from ultraviolet light to

infrared. The resulting images peel away centuries of varnish and other alterations, shedding

light on how the artist brought the painted figure to life and how she appeared to da Vinci and

his contemporaries.

"The face of Mona Lisa appears slightly wider and the smile is different and the eyes are

different," Cotte said. "The smile is more accentuated I would say."

Mona Lisa mysteries

A zoomed-in image of Mona Lisa's left eye revealed a single brush stroke in the eyebrow

region, Cotte said.

"I am an engineer and scientist, so for me all has to be logical. It was not logical that Mona

Lisa does not have any eyebrows or eyelashes," Cotte toldLiveScience. "I discovered one hair

of the eyebrow."

Another conundrum had been the position of the subject's right arm, which lies across her

stomach. This was the first time, Cotte said, that a painter had rendered a subject's arm and

wrist in such a position. While other artists had never understood da Vinci's reasoning, they

copied it nonetheless.
Cotte discovered the pigment just behind the right wrist matched up perfectly with that of the

painted cover that drapes across Mona Lisa's knee. So it did make sense: The forearm and

wrist held up one side of a blanket.

"The wrist of the right hand is up high on the stomach. But if you look deeply in the infrared

you understand that she holds a cover with her wrist," Cotte said.

Behind a painting

The infrared images also revealed da Vinci's preparatory drawings that lie behind layers of

varnish and paint, showing that the Renaissance man was also human.

"If you look at the left hand you see the first position of the finger, and he changed his mind

for another position," Cotte said. "Even Leonardo da Vinci had hesitation."

Other revelations include:

• Lace on Mona Lisa's dress

• The transparency of the veil shows da Vinci first painted a landscape and then used

transparency techniques to paint the veil atop it.

• A change in the position of the left index and middle finger.

• The elbow was repaired from damage due to a rock thrown at the painting in 1956.

• The blanket covering Mona Lisa's knees also covers her stomach.

• The left finger was not completely finished.

• A blotch mark on the corner of the eye and chin are varnish accidents, countering

claims that Mona Lisa was sick.

• And the Mona Lisa was painted on uncut poplar board, contrary to speculations.

In the larger picture, Cotte said when he stands back and looks up at the enlarged infrared

image of Mona Lisa, her beauty and mystique are apparent.

"If you are in front of this huge enlargement of Mona Lisa, you understand instantly why Mona

Lisa is so famous," Cotte said. He added, it's something you have to see with your own eyes.
Photo shoots

The engineer Pascal COTTE has invented the first multispectral camera (from
ultraviolet to infrared).
On 19 October 2004, he took pictures of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre’s Laboratory of
the Museums of France.
The quality of this photo is unique.
For the first time ever, we can admire the original colors (i.e. the colors of the
pigments used by Leonardo da Vinci) as well as the infrareds superimposed on the
color image.

After X-ray photography, infrared reflectography, X-ray fluorescence, the

spectrophotometric approach to color and high-resolution 3D scanning – the first
scientific tests undergone by the Mona Lisa for the last fifty years – Pascal Cotte, the
founder and scientific adviser of Lumiere Technology, has now
addedspectrocolorimetric analysis through multispectral photography.
Using the camera he has invented, he spent almost three hours taking pictures of
the painting, with light reflected by each pixel, illuminated by a light with a
wavelength ranging between 380 nanometers (ultraviolet) and 1,050 nanometers
(infrared). The study resulted in thirteen original photos of the masterpiece, with
hitherto unequalled accuracy and a resolution of nearly 240 million pixels.

After having calculated the curve of the varnish spectrum, the latter was digitally
removed from these images in order to identify the original pigments and virtually
restore the portrait without its varnish.

The result reveals the Mona Lisa as Leonardo's contemporaries could admire it at the
time : blue, lapis lazuli based sky, pink face, brighter mountains, green trees… But
further to the analysis of the shots, which took almost two years, it is possible to go
even further. First of all, it has revealed the layers of paint and undercoats covering
the wooden panel - poplar – on which it was painted. We can thus make out several
restorations, in particular a 2cm wide horizontal strip made of azurite covering the
entire width at the top of the painting.

Read scientific publications

Technological advance

After N. Niepce – the inventor of photography – came Nadar, Talbot and Daguerre,
followed by Eastmann and the Lumière brothers. Pascal Cotte has also earned
himself a reputation in the history of photography: beyond scientific and artistic
progress made with Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, his invention may be a prelude
to the era of digitizing works of art. According to him, it might “enable France to
become the leader of a digitization and conservation policy of the worldwide pictorial
heritage”.
By referring not to what the contemporary eye can see but to the true nature of the
pigments used by artists, his invention enables irreproachable shots from an
aesthetic and scientific point of view.
The technique carried out by Lumiere Technology also makes it possible to reveal
details in the region of a few micrometers and to obtain significant enlargements,
thus enabling simulations of varnish removal and restoring works of art, or
enhancing the databases of the national archives.

Leonardo’s pigments

If Leonardo was still alive today, he would be spoilt for choice. Over 200 pigments of
various origins are available to our contemporary painters. Five hundred years
ago, there were only about fourty, Leonardo used less than 20.
Pascal COTTE’s multispectral camera enabled him to identify the pigments which
were used to paint the Mona Lisa.
They answer to the names of cinnabar/vermilion (mercuric sulfide), umber, red ochre
(also known as ruddle), yellow ochre, verdigris, green earth, lead white, lead-tin
yellow, azurite, malachite, Madder lake (also known as alizarin) and buckthorn lake,
and the famous lapis lazuli blue (also known as ultramarine).
“The sky is entirely made of this pigment”, explains Pascal Cotte, “except for a 2cm
strip which was restored at the top of the painting, which is made of azurite and is
easy to spot due to the different or nonexistent network of cracks”.
In order to save the precious pigment (which is slightly transparent), an undercoat
often used to be made with azurite.
“This isn’t the case with the Mona Lisa. I took multispectral pictures of paintings
dating from that period. If the undercoat is made of azurite, I always find a spot
where it shows through, given that the binder becomes more transparent when it
ages. My camera is capable of making out 60-micron details. In that case, I would
definitely have seen it”.

TRUE COLORS OF THE MONA LISA REVEALED

Abstract
In complément of recent publications about Mona Lisa
What were the true colors when the Mona Lisa left Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop ?
Contact Press

Abstract

Lumiere Technology, a start-up based in Paris, reveals the true colors of the Mona Lisa.

Pascal Cotte, engineer and founder of Lumiere Technology, largely contributed to the knowledge of the Mona
Lisathanks to the multispectral digitization of the famous painting, whose report is detailed in the famous book
“Mona Lisa - Inside the Painting”, recently published by Abrams in USA, Gallimard & the Editions of the
Louvre in France, Shirmer Mosel in Germany.

The hidden knowledge of the true colors was revealed by multispectrally scanning the painting in thirteen
channels – from Ultra Violet to Infra Red. Then the spectral response curve of the varnish in each pixel was
isolated and subtracted from the digital file to virtually reveal the surface of the painting when it had freshly
exitedLeonardo da Vinci’s workshop.

This virtual removal of years of accumulated varnish is an illustration of Lumiere Technology’s technical
knowledge that will now be marketed as an exclusive digitization service to museums and private fine art
collections worldwide.

The true revolution that Pascal Cotte developed enables the in-depth study of fine art paintings using a
numerical file to reveal the true pigments for viewing and analysis without touching or damaging the paintings.

Lumiere Technology offers this service to museums worldwide as a unique, single tool to assess, analyze,
authenticate, restore and reproduce their masterpieces of fine art.

Here are some of the discoveries revealed by Pascal Cotte,

in complement of different studies recently published:
 The Mona Lisa’s originally-painted colors
are now revealed

"Physical removal of brittle varnish that weighs on a

painting’s surface – particularly in delicately-painted facial
complexion areas - would be very risky. Touchless
multispectral digitization makes this possible.”

The painting can now be virtually restored through

digital varnish removal

"The thinning of accumulated varnish presents the

painting’s intermediate state that the Museum of the
Louvre could be obtained after a restoration. Our
contribution on scientific bases to a crucial question"

A fur-lined coat rests on the Mona Lisa’s knees:

"In the painting’s “unfinished” section a fur-lined coat

rests on the Mona Lisa’s knees. Infra-red analysis
under the painting’s surface reveals the position of the
arm, hand and fingers moved as the artist evolved the
final painting."

There is a modern artifact on the painting !

“Virtual Analysis without touching the painting, revealed

a tiny orange speck of “Minium” in the middle of the
sky. This may have been caused by an unfortunate
handling of the painting or a projection during
maintenance performed in the Museum before the
painting was protected by glass.”

.
 The painting is proven to have shrunk

"Knowing the mathematical rigor of Leonardo da Vinci

who adhered to the harmonic rectangle (the diagonal of
the square of the rectangle is equal to the height of the
rectangle) to ensure the ‘divine proportions’ essential to
the harmony of a portrait and being assured of the total
absence of distortion in our optical measurement, we
could apply these factors to accurately determine the
dimensions of the original poplar wood panel.
The panel’s width has shrunk to 53.2 cm from its
original 55.5 cm dimension.
An interesting fact to be clarified.

What were the true colors when the Mona Lisa left Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop?

The Mona Lisa painting has been subjected to many experiments, whose results are the subject of the book,
“Mona Lisa, inside the painting” that explores the mystery of this work’s creation. While Canadians conclude
pregnancy because of the veil that covers the lady’s chest, the Japanese have simulated her speech.

But, the mystery remains for specialists to interrogate the painting’s original colors before protective varnish
was applied.

The sfumato technique applied by Leonardo di Vinci makes any restoration perilous. According to the French
expert of Da Vinci technique, Jacques Frank, “to attempt to unvarnish the Mona Lisa would involve touching the
surface, with the risk to irrevocably damage or erase the famous smile. Furthermore, the varnish may not be
able to be physically differentiated from the pigments.”

This conclusion heightens the reality of lightening or eliminating varnished numerically without human contact to
physically touch the original.

2 years ago, In October 2004, Pascal Cotte, the inventor of Lumiere Technology’s multispectral camera,
digitized the famous masterpiece in the Louvre’s basement Laboratory of the Museums of France.

The digitized file attained an amazing definition of 240 million pixels and an unequalled scientific precision to
enable the study of pigments on the painting’s surface. The spectral knowledge of each pixel, from ultra-violet
to infra-red light rays, revealed the painting’s history by guaranteeing the colorimetry with a never-before-
attained acuity.

The proposal to lighten the paintings historically-accumulated varnish was then collaborated with Francois
Perego, author of the famous “Dictionary of Materials of the Painter”, who assessed for Lumiere Technology a
simulation of varnish aging.

The result of analysis and virtual restoration is clear for all to see. The model seems younger and the sky is
blue as Leonardo da Vinci had originally painted with Lapis lazuli, the most expensive pigment to buy, actually
more than 20.000 $ the Kg !

“What is new is that scientific knowledge of paintings can now leave laboratories.. Conservators, curatots,
experts and private collectors worldwide will very easily have access to a multispectral digital file on their own
personal computer with an accuracy never made before. This will make possible to scientifically enlarge
portions, without losing image definition, to leisurely see previous restorations of these most beautiful images.”
Said Pascal Cotte."

A workshop of digitizing functions already exists in the center of Paris. Paintings can be multispectrally
scanned in full physical safety in less than one hour to enable infinite potential for research, understanding and
sharing.

“Lumiere Technology has ambition to install Multispectral rooms in museums to digitize Painting and drawing
for the future. Studying pictorial artwork with this accuracy and fidelity is out of the world, said our users..It is a
new way for Art studies and reproduction “

This multispectral camera is a major inventgion that pakes it possible for our company to go beyond traditional
techniques to transform the worldwide digitla conservation, study and sharing of cultural heritage, that's Google
does not do yet!

Remember the dream of Bill Gates who wanted to show on his LCD screen on the walls Fine Arts paintings.
We are now able to deliver the "reality" of the true color palette of a painting, on different illuminants in the
room, sunlight, tungsten, candle, as he'll wish.. Even if you are amblyopic, you will see as you and me the true
colors."..

Lumiere Technology is presently collaborating with centers of expertise throughout the world including the
C2RMF, the National Galleries in London and Washington, DC., the Rochester Institute of Technology and the
Cleveland Museum of Art.

The Last Supper

On the evening before his death, Jesus calls his disciples together for supper, which
will be his last. Before the meal he washes the feet of everyone attending. During
the meal Jesus discloses the fact that he will be betrayed by one of his twelve
followers. He shares the bread and wine, generally considered symbols for his body
and blood. The Last Supper is described most clearly in the Gospels of Mark,
Matthew and Luke.
 Duccio

This dramatic gathering has been a source of inspiration for the visual arts. The first
paintings of The Last Supper were quite static - as can be seen in the works of
Duccio (1308-11) and Ghirlandaio (1480). All figures are nicely seated in their chair,
despite the fact that they have just learned of their master's coming betrayal.

Domenico Ghirlandaio

A difficult problem for all painters of the tableau is the grouping of the figures.
Duccio chose a reasonably credible one: everyone is seated around a table. A
drawback of this grouping is that the faces of some of the followers are not visible.
Ghirlandaio has them seated behind a long table opposite the traitor Judas, who sits
alone.

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci effected a breakthrough with his Last Supper (approx. 1495-98).
Not only is Judas fully included in the group, but the figures are engaged in lively
interaction. Da Vinci's fresco inspired numerous Renaissance artists and Baroque
painters. Despite many restorations, the most recent in 1999, the work is in bad
condition, due to the technique used on the wall, which has insufficient sticking
power. In addition, the hall was used as a stable for some time, and bombed during
World War II.
 Hans Holbein the Younger

Juan de Juanes

Il Tintoretto

Peter Paul Rubens

Some details:

• Leonardo has Peter holding a dagger with which he will later cut off a soldier's
ear.
 • Three disciples are missing from Holbein's painting (1524-25). They may have
been lost when the work was damaged during the Reformation's Iconoclasm
in Basel. At the same occasion, Jesus' head was sawed from the altar piece
(to be put back later).
• Holbein chose approximately the same grouping as Leonardo, but uses a
smaller table and different facial expressions. A common aspect of both
paintings is Peter whispering in John's ear.
• De Juanes (approx. 1560) has Judas (extreme right) holding a purse. While
the followers are still stunned with the news of the betrayal, Jesus has begun
sharing the bread. Both in Ghirlandaio's and, with some effort, in Leonardo's
painting, a purse may be discerned.
• Il Tintoretto (1594) created a magical atmosphere by having angels hover
over the table.
• Rubens created several versions. On the one shown here (1632) Judas is the
only one looking more worried than shocked.
• The reclining figure in Duccio and Ghirlandaio is John (ref. John 13:23) -
Jesus' favorite.
• Duccio's work is part of his Maestà and shows Jesus offering Judas a piece of
bread.

The Catholic Church annually commemorates the Last Supper as the Holy Supper, on
Maundy Thursday.

Growing by Biblical Portions: Last Supper Paintings Over

Millennium Depict Growing Appetites
ScienceDaily (Mar. 23, 2010) — The sizes of the portions and plates in
more than four dozen depictions of the Last Supper -- painted over the
past 1,000 years -- have gradually grown bigger and bigger, according
to a Cornell University study published in the International Journal of
Obesity(April 2010), a peer-reviewed publication.
The finding suggests that the phenomenon of serving bigger portions on bigger plates -- which
pushes people to overeat -- has occurred gradually over the millennium, says Brian Wansink, the
John S. Dyson Professor of Marketing and of Applied Economics and director of the Cornell Food
and Brand Lab.
"We took the 52 most famous paintings of the Last Supper (from the book 'Last Supper,' 2000)
and analyzed the size of the entrees, bread and plates, relative to the average size of the
average head in the painting," said Wansink.
The study found that the size of the entrées in paintings of the Last Supper, which according to
the New Testament occurred during a Passover evening, has progressively grown 69 percent;
plate size has increased 66 percent and bread size by about 23 percent, over the past 1,000
years.
The research, conducted with Wansink's brother, Craig Wansink, professor of religious studies at
Virginia Wesleyan College, Norfolk, Va., and an ordained Presbyterian minister.
The analysis was aided by computer-aided design technology that allowed items in the paintings
to be scanned, rotated and calculated regardless of their orientation in the painting.
The researchers started with the assumption that the average width of the bread is twice the
width of the average disciple's head.
"The last thousand years have witnessed dramatic increases in the production, availability, safety,
abundance and affordability of food," said Cornell's Wansink, author of "Mindless Eating: Why We
Eat More Than We Think." "We think that as art imitates life, these changes have been reflected
in paintings of history's most famous dinner."

Jesus and his disciples at the last supper, a scene from the bible. Engraving from 1870 by
Gustave Dore. (Credit: iStockphoto/Duncan Walker)