Scientists winkle a secret from the `Mona Lisa' about how Leonardo painted the masterpiece

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The “Mona Lisa” has given up a secret. Scientists used X-rays to peer into the chemical structure of a tiny speck of the celebrated work of art. They came up with a new insight into the techniques used by Leonardo da Vinci when he painted his portrait of the woman with the enigmatic smile. Research published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Chemical Society says the oil-paint recipe he used as his base layer had a distinctive chemical signature. A rare compound in Leonardo’s first layer

FILE - Journalists walk past Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa during a visit of the Louvre museum Tuesday, June 23, 2020. Using X-rays to peer into the chemical structure of a tiny speck of the celebrated work of art, scientists have gained new insight into the techniques that Leonardo da Vinci used to paint his groundbreaking portrait of the woman with the exquisitely enigmatic smile. FILE - The Mona Lisa by Leornado da Vinci is pictured at the Louvre museum Wednesday, June 7, 2023 in Paris.

“In this case, it’s interesting to see that indeed there is a specific technique for the ground layer of ‘Mona Lisa,’” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. Finding plumbonacrite in the “Mona Lisa” attests “to Leonardo’s spirit of passionate and constant experimentation as a painter – it is what renders him timeless and modern,” Bambach said by email.

“Plumbonacrite is really a fingerprint of his recipe,” Gonzalez said. “It’s the first time we can actually chemically confirm it.” Leonardo is thought to have dissolved lead oxide powder, which has an orange color, in linseed or walnut oil by heating the mixture to make a thicker, faster-drying paste.

 

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