Chris Zippel

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The controversial painted, hangs in the London home of the art dealer Henry Pulitzer in the 1960s

A picture of the Mona Lisa hangs over a fireplace in an apartment in London in the 1960s. This image is not only of Leonardo da Vinci, but also an earlier version of The World -famous portrait, which hangs in the Louvre Museum In Paris ?

Some people are convinced that it is, and More Than 50 Years later, a fierce battle has broken out over the ownership of the image and The Evidence of who painted it.

The so-called "Earlier Mona Lisa " is at The Heart of a secret that The Caribbean tax havens, the vaults of the Swiss Bank, a mysterious international Consortium , and the Sherlock Holmes of the art world.

So it is real? Who are the rightful owners? And The Portrait could be of this in The Heart of Da Vinci Code-style mystery in the value of hundreds of millions of dollars?

A court in Italy This Week may eventually help to shed light on the answers to these questions.

A second Mona Lisa ? In 2012, an organization called the Mona Lisa Foundation revealed to The World in a blaze of publicity, to be what it claims to be a second Painting of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.

Since the Mona Lisa The World 's most famous Painting and the painter is perhaps regarded as one of history's greatest artists, a Fund of the art-world would on the head.

A comparison between the two images displayed by the Mona Lisa Foundation, in a lecture in Geneva, Switzerland, The Foundation , in order to try to return to The Claim that The Painting was a second, previously unknown version of The Portrait . But curious about the organization of The Painting claimed that it possess.

she says the picture is in the possession of an unnamed international Consortium . When asked about The Foundation , the Secretary -General, Joel Feldman , responds: "The Foundation , as a matter of policy, and in compliance with its obligations, does not comment on the ownership Consortium . "

The Earlier Mona Lisa Painting unveiled by the Mona Lisa Foundation in Geneva, Switzerland, But in their house in South London , Andrew and Karen Gilbert is a different story - they say they have a share of 25 per cent in The Portrait .

If you are the owner and not just trying to the Mona Lisa Foundation, after The Portrait in 2012, revealed they claimed that the organization said it did not "know anything About Us , they asked us the way as someone who is uncomfortable".

"Because we were not able to find out who the owner was, none of us, we didn't know how we start any type of procedure," Karen may says says.

Andrew and Karen Gilbert, of London, to say that she has seen a 25 percent stake in The Painting This Week , a dramatic development that the Gilbert's belief that they could lead to a breakthrough in your claim.

But a claim on what? Is it possible for a near priceless Leonard-da-Vinci-portrait, to suddenly come to light?

The $450 Painting incredibly, this is exactly what happens with a Painting called Salvator Mundi or Savior of The World .

Sold for just £45 ($55) in 1958, it was two years ago.

Auctioned at Christie's, Leonardo da Vinci, Salvator Mundi , The World 's most expensive paintings, The difference is, of course, that The Painting authenticated by an international team of experts as a Genuine Leonardo .

Was titled The Painting , of the Earlier "Mona Lisa " of The Foundation follow the same path?

"it Was a Leonardo ,"I was skeptical, but intrigued, explained Professor Jean-Pierre Isbouts, says Santa Monica , California , he was flown to Switzerland by The Foundation to view The Painting .

"I went into the crypt, it was very cold in there, and I spent about two hours with The Painting . But after Five Minutes I realized that it is a Leonardo . "

But it was not only the appearance, from The Academic to the Fielding Graduate University in California , whose work is recommended by The Foundation ) believe that The Portrait was Genuine - it was also the historical evidence," he says.

Leonardo -da-Vinci-image in Giorgio Vasari 's book "the lives of The Most excellent Italian painters," "Giorgio Vasari , the [16Th Century ] a biographer of Leonardo , it is clear that Leonardo worked on the Mona Lisa for four years And Then he left unfinished. "

This corresponds to the appearance of the Earlier "Mona Lisa ", the incomplete background, in contrast to the famous portrait that hangs in the Louvre.

Professor Isbouts also suggest that historical records mention Leonardo 's Painting of the Mona Lisa for two different customers, which increases the possibility that he completed two separate portraits, one for each Commission.

histograms show color similarities between the two paintings of the Mona Lisa Foundation-presentation in Geneva, Switzerland, He adds, that the scientific tests appear to back The Claim , the image is real.

"With the Earlier" Mona Lisa " the science tells us a) it is from the early 16Th Century . Century, b) it is definitely a composition by Leonardo , since the configuration and the composition is identical with that of the Louvre, the Mona Lisa . And c) the histograms [digital curves, the colors used] show that, in terms of the 'handwriting' of the image, as he is of color, [it's] exactly the same. "

not everyone is in agreement.

"A bit rubbish","It's the Genuine article for a number of reasons," Martin Kemp , Emeritus Professor of Art History at the University of Oxford, is not says.

"It's not really a serious runner to be by Leonardo himself. "

He believes that the reason Giorgio Vasari believed that the Mona Lisa was incomplete, because "Vasari' s information were all Florentine", and the picture was probably finished, after Leonardo had left, The City of Florence .

The writer and painter Giorgio Vasari wrote about Leonardo da Vinci and the Mona Lisa in the 16Th Century , And he does not agree that historical records indicate two Mona Lisas was painted.

Instead, Professor Kemp, Leonardo says, is never The Portrait of his original client and a second person "handed over is likely to have said, when you are finished, I'm going to take it away from them, as it was".

And the scientific evidence? Professor Kemp says that The Information offered by the Mona Lisa Foundation is only "permissive", and not exclude, the Earlier "Mona Lisa " by Leonardo , it does not prove, of course, that it is.

Professor Martin Kemp is one of The World 's leading authorities on Leonardo da Vinci, However, he adds, "testing of infrared and other technical means, shows that it is [the Louvre Mona Lisa ] by a development, like all Leonardo 's pictures.

"infrared investigation of the Isleworth Madonna [as the Earlier Mona Lisa is also known] is just tedious exactly and clearly the type of drawing you want to copy you, if anything, rather than create. "

Professor Isbouts, however, a part criticizes Professor Kemp's analysis, because "Martin has never seen The Work , and that is the beef that David and Joel, [Feldman of the Mona Lisa Foundation], and I think it's a legitimate beef. "

In response to Professor Kemp, he replies: "The old duck that you have to go and see it in the original, even if it is a bit of a nonsense, is not sustainable, especially with modern imaging techniques. And some of The High quality digital images, you can actually see more in them can be seen as one, in The Painting , even with a magnifying glass "

relocation evidenceThe can the experts disagree about the instructions, but has all of The Material presented clearly?

The BBC has seen sections of the pre-production copy of a book written by several contributors, but edited by Professor Isbouts - on the Earlier Mona Lisa , called "Leonardo Da Vinci' s Mona Lisa : New perspectives".

in One of the posts, it was claimed that in The Final , published version of the book, parts of his text seem to have been removed. He claims that many of the deleted passages seem to be those that are not helpful to the theory that the Earlier Mona Lisa is by Leonardo .

The Mona Lisa is one of The Most famous works of art in The World , Professor Isbouts denied this: "I've definitely edited segments, since I am The Editor . And in some cases there were passages that I think were scientific justifiable. I was just trying to keep the thrust of the argument Intact - I didn't safely remove everything of an opposite nature. There are two chapters that were just too long. "

He worried later by E-Mail to the BBC, after they contacted the participants to see which passages he was and said: "We are working on The Final version of the book in hardcover, so we can count on some adjustments in the available words. "

A Mona Lisa , but no moneyOne thing, the supporters of the theory that the Earlier Mona Lisa is to explain to Leonardo da Vinci, where the image came from.

suddenly arose in the year 1913, when Hugh Blaker 's bought it from a Manor House in Somerset.

"It was like a catalogue of failures, really, in spite of His Best efforts," says Professor Meyrick, The Man who struggled financially later in life.

art, mona lisa, long reads, leonardo da vinci

Source of news: bbc.com