Mona Lisa exhibition opens in Hong Kong this month, showing Da Vinci’s manuscripts and an animated ‘Mona Lisa’

“The painting was famous from the moment Da Vinci began to paint it in 1503,” says Céline Dauvergne, a press officer at the Louvre. For centuries, experts argued over who the woman in the picture was; a slew of noblewomen’s names were suggested, and some even posited it was a man. But, Dauvergne explains, “There was a note, found in the 1990s in an old book in a German library, that says it was the portrait of Lisa Gherardini,” a member of the noble Gherardini family. She married Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo, whose surname Giocondo means “happy” in Italian. Italians refer to the painting as La Giaconda, both a play on her married name, and a description of her countenance.

“That’s probably why Da Vinci chose to put that smile on her face,” says Dauvergne. “The smile is the most ambiguous human expression of all. Because you can have a lot of reasons to smile. When you look at her, some people say that she looks happy; that makes sense because ‘giocondo’ in Italian means ‘happy’, [so] But others think she’s smiling to make fun of them.”

Da Vinci’s masterful painting skills, centuries before photography was invented, are exemplified by his hyperrealist portrayal of Mona Lisa’s facial expressions. His sfumato technique—a “smoky” effect that creates soft, hazy transitions between light and shadow—give the painting a lifelike quality that frightened other 16th-century artists. Technology allows us to look even more deeply into his techniques.

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Teams from Grand Palais Immersif and the Louvre used methods including infrared and lidar imaging to scan the layers beneath the oil and varnish. At the exhibition, these results can be examined at interactive workstations. Ksenia Zemtsova, the head of touring exhibitions at Grand Palais Immersif, says, “This scientific magnification has never been done before in such an accessible format with Mona Lisa. It’s very interactive, very fun and very educational”, which allows the public a clearer understanding of Da Vinci’s technical process.

Dauvergne adds: “This is the most famous painting in the world, but ironically, because of this, people flock to the Louvre to see her, take a selfie and then go. Few people truly understand her. But the digital experience is an extension of the museum experience, where you get to see the small details, such as the small [cracks], and take the time to learn about the painting’s stories and history.” 

Complementing the digital journey is Portraying the Renaissance, an exhibition of 28 physical pieces curated to provide the cultural and intellectual context of the time. Of particular note are four original drawings and texts from Da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus, his largest existing collection of drawings and written notes, on loan from the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan and on view in Hong Kong for the first time. 

The exhibition also highlights a collaboration with the Atelier d’Art Grand Palais RMN, formerly known as the Atelier des Moulages. Founded during the French Revolution, it is the only workshop authorised to produce replicas from France’s national collections using savoir-faire passed down through generations. For this show, the atelier has provided nine chalcographies, or engravings, and moulages, or casts, including a series of busts and statues that allow visitors to experience the tactile craftsmanship of the Renaissance.

While the exhibition brings the world of Da Vinci and other Renaissance masters to Hong Kong, the original Mona Lisa remains firmly at the Louvre. Dauvergne explains that there is a visible crack that runs from the top of the thin, fragile poplar wood panel down to the subject’s hair, an instability that has existed since at least the 17th century. “Because wood is sensitive to temperature, humidity and vibrations, any travel poses the risk of the panel splitting in two,” she says. “The loss of original material is something that cannot be undone.” Curators at the Louvre have long resisted requests for the painting to travel. Dauvergne notes that it has only left the museum twice since the 1960s—once to the United States and once to Japan.

Tatler was at the Louvre in February with Lam and French May ahead of the Hong Kong exhibition. Standing in front of the Mona Lisa again after nine years, Lam was thrilled that so many other people in Hong Kong will be able to witness the sight. still loves the physical museum experience. “This painting has existed for more than 500 years, having gone through so many major moments in history, such as the French Revolution and the birth of the Louvre,” says Lam. “Seeing it here, you can’t help but feel you’re but a tiny part of this historical timeline. It isn’t just a painting—you’re looking at history itself.”

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