Did you know one of the most famous paintings in the world is around 500 years old? What's even more impressive than just the age of the painting, is the fact it is still relevant to this day. This painting is one of Leonardo da Vinci’s, called the Mona Lisa, one of the most famous paintings in the entire world. With her mysterious smile, far off look in her eyes, a distant landscape, and calm expression, she has inspired artists, historians, tourists, and more conspiracy theories than anyone probably expected from one portrait.

The painting is believed to have been started around 1503, during the Italian Renaissance, and Leonardo continued working on it for years. The woman in the portrait is traditionally identified as Lisa Gherardini. She was a Florentine woman who was married to a wealthy silk merchant named Francesco del Giocondo. Lisa was born in the year 1479, although historians do not know her exact birthday. The painting’s Italian name, La Gioconda, comes from her married name.

But here is where the theories begin, for starters not everyone agrees that we know exactly who is in the painting. The most accepted theory is that it really is Lisa Gherardini. One reason many people believe this is because of a note written in 1503 supporting the idea that Leonardo was painting a portrait of a woman named Lisa del Giocondo. There are other theories that have suggested that the woman could have been another Renaissance figure, Leonardo’s apprentice Salaì, or even Leonardo himself disguised as a woman. After analyzing the portrait, people believe Mona Lisa has some features that resemble Leonardo. These theories are not widely accepted by art historians, but they have helped keep the Mona Lisa mystery alive.

Today, the Mona Lisa lives at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, where she is displayed in the Salle des États. The Louvre even gives her a room large enough to handle the crowds of people who come just to see her. It is even said that once the Lourve makes renovations, she will be getting her own personal room for display. 

So why is this painting so important? Leonardo’s use of sfumato, which is a technique that creates soft, smoky transitions between colors and shadows, gives her face its almost mysterious quality. Her expression can look different depending on where you look, which is one reason people have been fascinated by her for so long.

From a Florentine woman born in 1479 (allegedly) to being protected by bulletproof glass centuries later, the Mona Lisa has certainly had a long journey. And somehow, after all these years, we are still trying to figure out what exactly that famous little smile means.