Leonardo's Val di Chiana Map in the Mona Lisa

Abstract

Leonardo arranged the landscape in the Mona Lisa to hold two disjoined halves of one image. That image can be reassembled by juxtaposing two copies of the painting side by side. The newly reconstituted landscape corresponds to an actual place, as depicted in Leonardo's Val di Chiana map. In this article, the identity of the sitter and opinions relevant to the background landscape are considered, Leonardo's developments in the depiction of depth outlined, and his technique of topographic perspective introduced. Analysis of these observations, along with Leonardo's investigations in perception, perspective, monocular and binocular vision, and cartography, lead to understanding of his technique. Speculation as to Leonardo's motivation include a pun on La Gioconda and his attempt at stereoscopy.

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