Nude Mona Lisa?

A painting of a nude woman who looks a lot like Mona Lisa has been put on display after being hidden within the walls of a library for almost 100 years.  The painting was attributed to Leonardo da Vinci in 1845 when it was purchased, but no one is sure if that is accurate or not.

Some believe that da Vinci painted many different images of Mona Lisa, but didn’t put them on display because they would have been considered inappropriate.  I don’t think that makes a lot of sense though, considering how many other paintings around that time contain nude figures.  If Mary and Jesus can be painted nude, why is Mona being so modest?

The painting does contain a lot of parallels to the famous Mona Lisa: her face, the way she is sitting, the hand position.  I’m not sure if she has quite the same signature smile on her face, but it does look very similar.  There was also a note found which states: “the portrait of the Mona Lisa, mistress of Francis I, by Leonardo da Vinci,” dated 1845.

The painting is currently hanging in the Museo Ideale in da Vinci’s birth town of Vinci in Italy.

[Thanks to Michele!]