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Chanavee Build Phittayavanitch

Ms. Orana Meenongwha
English 10/10:04
May 25, 2017

The Hidden messages in Da Vincis Paintings.

Introduction

Leonardo Da Vinci also known as Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was born in

1452 in the town of Vinci in the Tuscan hills, the province of Florence. He was born out of

wedlock to Caterina a possible slave from the Middle East and a Notary by name of Piero

Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci. In his name da Vinci is meaning of Vinci, he was born the

town of Vinci so Leonardo of Vinci and his full name was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci.

Not very much is known about Leonardos early life. However, he joined the workshop of

Verrocchio along with other famous artists such as Botticelli and Perugino. Verrocchio was a

painter, sculptor and goldsmith. His nickname Verrocchio which in Italian means true eye

claim given for him for his artistic skill. He joined this workshop when he was 14 year olds and

he have learned many of technical skills such as drafting, metallurgy, metal working, plaster

casting, leather working, chemistry, carpentry and mechanics as skills of artistic of painting,

drawing, sculpting and modeling. Da Vincis painting skill was so far excellent that his master or

Verrocchio put down his brush and never painted again. Throughout Davincis life, he had

created many art works such as The virgin of the rocks, Annunciation, Adoration of the Magi and

etc ,however there are many questions of hidden messages or code within his paintings for

example The Virgin of the Rocks, one of his paintings that has meaning. Leonardo was using

shadowing technique in this painting. The virgin and child in the painting is shown as a bright
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daylight. This painting was around 1491/2-9. Leonardo painted dark background and full of

rocks to make their face bright. Conservators used a technique, infrared reflectography to see the

layers and details underneath this painting. The virgins face and was leap out aside of the

original position and also other figure hand. There are many paintings which supposedly have

hidden messages; however, for the purpose of this research paper will detail about the two

famous paintings, Mona Lisa and the last supper and their hidden messages.

Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa is painted in oil on a poplar wood panel by Leonardo Da Vinci. Mona Lisa is

probably the most famous painting in the world. Mona Lisa is an English name. However, in

Italian Mona Lisa is called La Gioconda. This paintings dimension is 77cm x 53 cm (30 in x

21 in) and weighs 18 pounds. Leonardo spent 4 years perfecting this painting. He started the

painting in Italy. Now, Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre museum, in Paris since 1797, and Mona

Lisa name in French is La Joconde. Mona Lisa is known as the mysterious woman smiling in

half body portrait. No one can know that she is smiling, laughing or crying. The location of the

landscape in the background is a mystery. Some said that on the left side of the background the

dimension is deeper that the right side and it may have been influenced by Chinese landscape

paintings. The name Mona Lisa isnt given by Da Vinci, but given by Giorgio Vasari, an Italian

artist, and biographer after Da Vincis death 31 years. The woman that is in the painting was Lisa

Gheradini, the wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco Del Giocondo. The word Mona in

Italian means Madonna or my lady or Madam so the meaning of Mona Lisa in English

means Madam Lisa. Once Mona Lisa had hanging in Napoleon bedroom. Napoleon really

crushed hard on her, he could revel in her beauty for untold hours. There is a theory that Da Vinci
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intended to draw himself as a woman. Da Vinci cherished this painting very much that he carried

this painting with him everywhere he went till he died then this painting and all of his property

are given to his henchman or confidant name Francesco melci. After Francesco died, he didnt

inherit Da Vincis legacy to anyone. His legacy began to be scattered. The painting was stolen

from the Louvre museum on the 21st August 1911. Pablo Picasso was a suspect in the theft and

later he was found innocent and was released. It took 2 years to get caught the real thief. The

place that found the painting of Mona Lisa was the birthplace of her, Florence. The thief was

found out that he was an employee, the carpenter who had been working at the Louvre museum.

He knew all the exits and escapes routes of the museum and his name is Vincenzo Peruggia.

After Mona Lisa was stolen. There is an assumption that her smile changed. The returned

painting would be a fake Mona Lisa. Now, Mona Lisa kept in Louvre museum in the room that

has bullet proof glass and has a controlled temperature to preserve the ideal of environments.

Hidden messages in Mona Lisa

In Mona Lisa painting, there are a bunch of hidden mysteries and secret messages. It was

500 years after the Mona Lisa was painted. There are still many arguments about the meaning of

the painting, mysteries, what Da Vinci wanted people to know and why he painted it. There are

many truth and false theories from historians and scientists, but no one can know that is it true or

not. Now, there are many new tools and technologies and techniques to find the messages. It was

accepted that the Mona Lisa is a portrait of Lisa Del Giocondo, the wife of Florentine merchant.

The theory states that her arms were crossed the belly and tummy. It shown that she was

pregnant. Historically, Lisa Del Giocondo was pregnant with her second child when the painting

is finish, around 1503 and 1506. The theory was found by people who are staring at the painting
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for way long. Later, scientists used laser and infrared scans to see 3D image of the painting.

Visibly, the scans showed the guarnello is worn around her shoulders, a cloth that usually worn

by women in Italian Renaissance when they expecting to give a birth or had given. Theres a

bunch of people arguing about her smile. Her smile seems very mysterious that people are trying

to understand that she is smiling or not. Most of people think that Da Vinci was telling a joke to

her during painting and she also a bad model that couldnt stay still. The smile is better to be

seen from a distance that her smile is somehow remarkable when people are looking in her eyes

more than her mouth itself. Dutch researchers developed an emotion recognition computer

software, and ran through the painting, the results of smile was 83% happy, 9% disgusted, 6%

fearful, and less than 1% neutral. They were surprised that in Mona Lisas smile is very much

detail in it. There is a strange theory that Mona Lisa had high cholesterol. Back in those days

people believing a bit of chubby was a sign of wealth. Scientists recognize that there is a fatty

tissue in her right eye and chubby cheeks, maybe was eating much of junk food. Scientists

viewed the painting under microscope and noticed that the eyes of Mona Lisa, there is tiny

numbers and letters. In the right eye appear to be letter LV which could properly stand for his

name, Leonardo Da Vinci, while in the left eye there is a symbol or alphabet that not barely

defined. For scientists, the letters seem to be CE or it could be B. While within the bend of

the bridge in the background part, the number 72 can be seen, or maybe it could be an L and

2. Lastly, the number 149 with the fourth number already erased which could be the time when

he painted it when he was in Milan in 1490. There are many mysterious theory of the painting

Mona Lisa. Some hidden messages can be found by people was starred at the painting too much

for long time. Most of the theory was occur by scientists and historian by using new technology.

Maybe in the future, some hidden messages that nobody can find it may be found by using new
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technologies in the future. The most acceptable theory of this painting is the theory that there is

tiny numbers and letters appeared in her eyes.

The Last Supper

The Last Supper, is the one of the worlds most famous painting that was painted by

Leonardo Da Vinci. The original size of the painting is about 15 feet by 19 feet. The Last

Supper is an English name, however IL cenacolo or L'ultima cena is an Italian name which

means the last meal. The painting cannot be found in the museum because it was painted on the

wall of refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan in 1495. The painting was

commissioned as part of a plan of renovations to the church and Da Vinci painted for his patron,

Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. As a result, the painting cannot be moved. Da Vinci rejected

the traditional technique for painting on the wall, fresco. Frescos were painted on wet plaster. For

this painting, Da Vinci wanted to get more luminosity than fresco technique can do and a huge

problem for doing fresco is the painter needs to rush to finish his work before the plaster dried.

To perfect detail on this painting, Da Vinci created his own technique. He was using tempera

paints on stone. He primed the wall with some materials that he expected that the material would

accept tempera paints and protect the paint against moisture, but Da Vincis tempera paints

technique experiment was a failure. 50 years after it painted in early 16th century, the paint had

started to wane and flake. Part of The Last Supper that makes it so imposing is the perspective.

To do this perspective, Da Vinci hammered a nail into the wall then tried string to it to make

marks that helped him to guide his hand in creating the angle of the painting. After early

restoration, only made it worse. Vibrations from Allied bombings during World War II destruct

the painting. In 1980, the painting was restored again but the painting still lost much of its
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original paints. The painting represents the scene of The Last Supper of Jesus with his twelve

disciples as told in Gospel of John, 13:21 in the holy bible. The subject of The Last Supper is

Christs final meal with his disciples before Judas, one of his disciples betrayed him. Christ said

One of you will betray me, to all of his disciples. Lastly, The Last Supper is one of the Italys

must see sites, so if people want to see The Last Supper in front of them, they better book tickets

to see the painting at least two months in advance. The place where it is located was not built for

many people. Only 20-25 people are allowed and have only 15 minutes for visiting.

Hidden messages in The Last Supper

Leonardo Da Vincis The Last Supper is one of the most famous, most admired and most

studied. Many times, people have been seeing it, but dont know much details and the hidden

meanings of the paintings much. The subject of the Last supper is Christs last meal with his

followers before Judas, one of his twelve followers betray him. According to the Gospels, the

evening before Christ was betrayed by one of his disciples, he gathered them together to eat and

tell them what was coming. Christ says to his disciples One of you will betray me, and his

disciples react, Phillip asking Lord, is it I? Christ replies that He that dippeth his hand with

me in the dish, the same shall betray me. According to the painting, we see Christ and Judas

reaching toward a plate that lies between them at the same time. Leonardo also depicted Christ

blessing the bread and saying to the disciples Take, eat, this is my body and blessing wine and

saying Drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the covenant. According to the Vatican

researcher name Sabrina Sforza Galitzia, he claimed that the cracked in the half moon window

above Christs head contained the mathematical and astrological code. The code is revealing

presages of a Universal flood which will occur on March 21, 4006 and end on November 1 on
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the same year, the destruction of the world, but marking a new start for all humanity. The spilled

salt before Judas has been said to represent his betrayal. On the right of Jesus, Thomas, his finger

pointing up into the air. Thomas finger becomes the key in the later Bible story when Jesus rises

from dead. Thomas doubts his eyes and plead to probe Jesuss wound with his finger to help him

believe. A computer expert, Slavisa Pesci, created a visual effect by overlaying a semitransparent

or mirror version of the painting overlaying on top of the original painting. The result of this

method appeared the two figures that look like Templar knights at the both ends of the table.

While at the left of Christ, someone is holding a baby. An Italian musician, Giovanni Maria Pala

says that the position of hands and breads can explain as notes on a music stuff that form a

composition when read from right to left. That was a characteristic of Leonardos writing. The

Last Supper is all about Jesus Christ last meal with his disciple before one of them betrayed him.

Leonardo Da Vinci depict many little details that have meaning in the painting.

Conclusion

Leonardo Da Vinci had painted many painting and most of them are famous. Da Vincis

paintings are very interesting. Da Vincis paintings mostly have its own meaning. That is how Da

Vinci paintings are attractive, but know the secret meaning, incredible details and techniques that

are used in his paintings even make his paintings more attractive and interest to see by oneself.

Da Vinci had done many famous paintings. He also created his own techniques rather use the

traditional or the common one in order to perfected his paintings and make his painting last

longer. For The Last Supper, Da Vinci Had created his own technique for painting The Last

Supper on the wall of refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan in 1495. Da

Vinci also created a perspective on The Last Supper by hammering a nail into the wall and used
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string as a guide for him to create angles for the painting. The Last Supper is based on the Holy

Bible about Jesus Christ last meal. According to the Gospel, Jesus said that One of you will

betray me, to all of his disciple which is Judas, the one betrayed Christ. Leonardo depicted

Christ and Judas reaching the plate that lies on front of them at the same time and the spilled salt

before Judas has been said to represent his betrayal. Another famous painting of Leonardo is

Mona Lisa. Leonardo started to paint the Mona Lisa in Italy and finished in French. Now, the

Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre museum, in Paris. The Woman in the painting was Lisa

Gheradini, wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco Del Giocondo. The Mona Lisa was stolen

by a carpenter that worked in the Louvre. The painting was found in birth place of Mona Lisa,

Florence. In the right eye of Mona Lisa, by using microscope, it appears to be letter LV which

could stand for his name Leonardo Da Vinci. In the left eye, it seems to be CE or B which

not barely defined. The number 149 with the fourth number erased on the blend of the bridge in

the background which could be defined as the time when he was painted in Milan. Many

paintings of Da Vinci have hidden meaning in them, but some of the paintings are still not be

defined yet or today technologies cannot use to define the meaning in it. Some secret meaning

revealed by people starring at the painting for too long. Maybe, if a person is looking the

paintings of Da Vinci for long time, he can reveal some secrets.

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References

Bryner, J. (2007). 25 Secrets of Mona Lisa Revealed. Retrieved 12 May 2017, from

http://www.livescience.com/4648-25-secrets-mona-lisa-revealed.html

Puchko, K. (n.d.). 14 Things You Didnt Know About the Mona Lisa. Retrieved 12 May 2017,

from http://mentalfloss.com/article/62280/14-things-you-didnt-know-about-mona-lisa

Leonardo Da Vinci Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved 10 May 2017, from http://www.leonardoda-

vinci.org/biography.html

Umansky, N. (2013). 10 Famous Paintings with Hidden Codes. Retrieved 14 May 2017, from

http://www.oddee.com/item_98643.aspx

The Last Supper. (n.d.). Retrieved 20 May 2017,

from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-

americas/renaissance-art-europe-ap/a/leonardo-last-supper

Puchko, K. (n.d.). 15 Facts About The Last Supper. Retrieved 15 May 2017, from

http://mentalfloss.com/article/64372/15-things-you-should-know-about-last-supper
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