Which Italian artist painted the 'Mona Lisa'?

Which Italian artist painted the 'Mona Lisa'? Leonardo da Vinci painted it. The portrait, also known as La Gioconda or La Gioconda, is traditionally believed to depict Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo.

Leonardo is thought to have begun the painting around 1503, although scholars debate how long he continued refining it. He painted it in oil on a poplar wood panel, using his subtle sfumato technique to create soft transitions between light, shadow, and facial expression.

The Mona Lisa is now displayed at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Leonardo took it with him to France late in his life, and it entered the French royal collection after his death. Its fame grew dramatically after it was stolen from the Louvre in 1911 and recovered in 1913.

A common mix-up is confusing Leonardo with Michelangelo, Raphael, or Titian, all major Italian Renaissance artists. Leonardo also painted The Last Supper, while Michelangelo was chiefly celebrated for sculpture and the Sistine Chapel ceiling.