Uploaded December 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The ‘Mona Lisa’ might be the world’s most recognizable painting, but do you know what’s underneath? New research has found a rare, toxic lead compound that da Vinci mixed into the layers under some of his most famous artworks.
“X‑ray and Infrared Microanalyses of Mona Lisa’s Ground Layer and Significance Regarding Leonardo da Vinci’s Palette”
Journal of the American Chemical Society
doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c07000
Corresponding author: Victor Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Read an ACS press release about this research:
acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2023/october/mona-lisa-hides-a-surprising-mix-of-toxic-pigments.html
Credits:
Written and narrated by Emily Schneider
Edited by Janali Thompson
Produced by Kerri Jansen
Executive produced by Matthew Radcliff
Research images from Victor Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Mona Lisa painting images from Centre for Research and Restoration in French Museums
Sketches by Leonardo da Vinci (public domain)
Additional images from Shutterstock
Produced by the American Chemical Society (ACS), one of the world’s largest scientific societies. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences.
Join the #AmericanChemicalSociety! bit.ly/Join_ACS
The ‘Mona Lisa’ might be the world’s most recognizable painting, but do you know what’s underneath? New research has found a rare, toxic lead compound that da Vinci mixed into the layers under some of his most famous artworks.
“X‑ray and Infrared Microanalyses of Mona Lisa’s Ground Layer and Significance Regarding Leonardo da Vinci’s Palette”
Journal of the American Chemical Society
doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c07000
Corresponding author: Victor Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Read an ACS press release about this research:
acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2023/october/mona-lisa-hides-a-surprising-mix-of-toxic-pigments.html
Credits:
Written and narrated by Emily Schneider
Edited by Janali Thompson
Produced by Kerri Jansen
Executive produced by Matthew Radcliff
Research images from Victor Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Mona Lisa painting images from Centre for Research and Restoration in French Museums
Sketches by Leonardo da Vinci (public domain)
Additional images from Shutterstock
Produced by the American Chemical Society (ACS), one of the world’s largest scientific societies. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences.
Join the #AmericanChemicalSociety! bit.ly/Join_ACS
