Leonardo da Vinci's celebrated painting of the half-smiling Mona Lisa will undergo microscopic examination and x-ray imaging, the Associated Press reported today.
During a routine inspection, officials from the Louvre Museum in Paris found that the 500-year-old painting, oil on a half-inch-thick poplar board, was warping. They ordered the studies to find out why, and perhaps find a way to prevent future damage.
Vincent Pomarede, chief curator of the Louvre's department of painting, told the Associated Press that the painting has been repaired several times during its history. The repairs include pieces of wood added in the 17th, 18th and 20th centuries, and Pomarede said he suspects that different aging patterns in the various pieces of wood are the cause of the warping.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writersMay 4, 2004
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