Crowds are gathering at Madrid's Prado Museum to view a copy of the "Mona Lisa" for the first time since a restoration revealed it was almost certainly painted by one of Leonardo da Vinci's apprentices as he worked on the original.
The painting was put on display at the museum on Tuesday, where it will stay until it moves to Paris' Louvre museum next month to hang alongside the original as part of an exhibition on da Vinci's work.
Although the precise author of the copy has not been determined, both the Prado and Louvre believe it is probably the earliest known copy of "La Gioconda."
The copy has been part of Spain's art collection for hundreds of years. It had previously been on display in the Prado but no one paid much attention as it was considered a mediocre copy.
La Gioconda was painted by a pupil or follower of the artist at the same time as the original. The importance of this discovery, which was made during the study and restoration of the painting at the Prado for its inclusion in the exhibition at the Louvre on Leonardo that opens on 29 March, lies in the fact that as a contemporary and perfectly preserved copy, it contributes important information on both the landscape background and on numerous details of the mysterious sitter. The latter include the shape of the chair, the ornamentation of the cloth covering her breast and the semi-transparent veil around her shoulders.
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