How long did Leonardo da Vinci work on the Mona Lisa?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, oil painting showing a woman with a slight smile and folded hands, seated before a distant, hazy landscape. — Mona Lisa *Mona Lisa*, oil on wood panel by Leonardo da Vinci, 1503–19; in the Louvre, Paris.

Leonardo da Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa around 1503, and the work remained in his studio until his death in 1519. Rather than a single continuous project, he likely worked on the portrait intermittently over those years, applying multiple layers of thin oil glazes at different times. While some sources date the painting to approximately 1503–1509, historical evidence confirms it was still in his possession at the time of his death in 1519.12