Mona Lisa

"This is the greatest painting in the world. Isn't it wonderful? See, her eyes follow you wherever you go." "Even in the bathroom?"

- Helen Seymour & Indiana Jones

The Mona Lisa (also known as La Gioconda) is an Italian Renaissance painting by Leonardo da Vinci, considered to be one of the most recognized and most famous pieces of art in the world. Painted in the early sixteenth century, it now resides in the Louvre in Paris, France. The portrait of a sitting woman, modeled on Lisa de Giocondo, is best known for the woman's enigmatic smile and lack of eyebrows.

In September 1908, Indiana Jones and his tutor, Miss Seymour visited the Louvre, and viewed the Mona Lisa. While discussing how it took three years for Leonardo to paint the portrait, a boy making a sketch of the painting joined the conversation, and introduced himself as Norman Rockwell. Rockwell and Jones toured the museum together, guided by Miss Seymour.

Behind the Scenes
While the Mona Lisa was well known in 1908, its fame grew substantially after its theft in 1911, and subsequent mass commercialization of its image.

In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure, a giant paint-by-number imitation of the Mona Lisa sits in the art storage room of Castle Brunwald. Hiding behind the crude reproduction is the entrance to a vault where a painting of the Holy Grail can be found.

A LEGO interpretation of the masterpiece can be found in LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures.

Appearances

 * The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
 * "Paris, September 1908"  Passion for Life


 * Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure (paint-by-number reproduction)
 * LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures