Arts & Leisure
Mystery 'Mona Lisa' means da Vinci connection at Portland Museum of Art
By Rose Safran
PORTLAND - In a time when museum funding by corporations and government is hard to come by, far be it from any museum to not take advantage of any available publicity.Timing can be everything. Jumping right in with the releasing and coincident promotion of the movie version of Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" was the Portland Museum of Art. What an opportunity this event provided to dust off and display its very own Mona Lisa - a mystery painting usually tucked away in the vaults.
We took a look at the nicely framed PMA's "La Gioconda," its official name, which came to the museum in 1983 as a gift from Henry Reichhold, a summer resident of Prout's Neck who purchased the painting in the 1960s after the death of its European owner. We dipped into our stuffed memory, recalling past visits to the Louvre where the original is on view and tried to make mental comparisons.
Impossible. Here, at the PMA, there is no mob standing in front of the work of art; with a handful of visitors, we are able to get much closer. Lighting is different. The view is different. To this writer, the background seemed to vary from the original, as recalled. There seemed to be an unfinished quality, although that "look" could have been from age. Also, it was obvious that the famous enigmatic smile is missing. We read that the size varied.
The PMA's "La Gioconda" was analyzed at Harvard's Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies where conservators determined that the painting is indeed of Leonardo da Vinci's era and was executed before 1510, but they were unable to come up with a decision concerning whether or not his hand executed it. Nor was there any firm conclusion concerning whether this was an early study or a simple reproduction, although the evaluation seemed to favor an early study - that is, a version. The PMA museum director has been reported as adhering to the version view.
Intrigue about the painting certainly has had its effect. The PMA is getting unusual attention. Recently, The New York Times ran an article, complete with picture taken in the museum and Kristen Levesque, the director of Marketing and Public Relations was included in the photograph, standing at the side. We understand that the news about the mystery lady has been broadcast, too.
A few facts:
There are numerous copies of the Mona Lisa, painted from the 16th century through the late19th century when artists copied masterpieces as a learning exercise. Lots of Old Masters have been copied over the years - and it is a practice that continues today. This particular painting went through an extensive process consisting of infrared, ultraviolet and microscopic examination and X-radiography. There was pigment analysis, analysis of basic structure (the original canvas had been mounted on a wood panel), analysis of paint samples.
The ultimate verdict:
"Definite conclusions about the original state of the painting are difficult to arrive at because of the present overall poor condition of the painting and the extensive restoration it has undergone."
However, it was reported that a section of the painting depicting a river near a bridge has characteristics of a left-handed stroke, which is consistent with Leonardo da Vinci's work as a left-handed artist. Still, it may be impossible to make any real determination concerning whether the PMA's "La Gioconda," one of the few Old Masters' paintings in the PMA collections, is by the master.
The mystery remains.
