“Leonardo undertook to paint, for Francesco del Giocondo, the portrait of his wife Mona Lisa, and after he had lingered over it for four years, he left it unfinished; today, the work is in the possession of King Francis of France, at Fontainebleau.” Giorgio Vasari, in both editions of The Lives, describes the work by the genius from Vinci not only as imperfect, but as a clear sale to the king of France, Francis I, for which he was paid exactly “4,000 gold scudi”, according to subsequent research.

Numerous theories about the Mona Lisa suggest that secrets are concealed in its every detail.

The mystery of the Mona Lisa

Even her enigmatic smile was unveiled to be not only due to Leonardo’s glazing technique, but also because, as recent X-ray analysis has revealed, there are at least three or four overlapping versions of the painting: originally it even appears that the woman had eyebrows. One thing is certain: the artist continued to make improvements to his beloved painting, without ever finishing it…

The Mona Lisa, coffee style

Unlike the original, several other Mona Lisas will be completed by children who do their best to repaint the famous masterpiece using coffee and beans in a completely unique, personal way.

To commemorate the anniversary of 500 years since the death of Leonardo da Vinci, as one of the many interesting initiatives that will take place throughout Milan, MUMAC will organize a special opening.

The idea is to involve both adults and children in the celebration and discovery of one of the greatest geniuses that humanity has ever produced, through an animated reading of the book “The Mona Lisa Thief” by Géraldine Elschener and Ronan Badel and a workshop in which the children will be able to reproduce Leonardo’s iconic work in a completely unique and personal way.

The magic of Leonardo

The children will also be captivated by Leonardo’s story and interesting facts about the artist, thanks to readings and rare books brought by Simabè, which will organize the fun educational workshop.

“The goal,” explains Simonetta, the agency’s founder, “is to stimulate adults and children to expand and express their talent, recognizing themselves in the curious, imaginative and exploratory figure of Leonardo.” A sense of wonder will characterize the activities, starting with the Mona Lisa, the muse that inspires countless interpretations, which will be reproduced in its normal size for participants to admire and repaint.

To commemorate 500 years since his death, Simabè will also offer parents a reproduction of an exquisite 15th-century book with gold leaf and an exclusive collection of reproductions of the Leonardo codes kept at the Royal Trust of London, one of the most beautiful exhibitions in the world.

At the same time, adults will be able to explore MUMAC’s rooms to discover the evolution of mechanics that attests to innovative genius, from Leonardo to the present day.

At the end of the workshop, every participant will receive a certificate with the Vitruvian Man to mark the anniversary.

Useful info

Workshop for children aged from 5 to 11

14.00-17.30 Free admission to the museum

15.00 Free workshop for children

Limited places by reservation at mumac.it/information/?lang=en

15.30 Free guided tour of the collections