For everyone the definition of painting differs. For some it is the art of expression for others it’s a source of breakthrough or entertainment. The art of painting sustained through several civilization and cultures. Paintings have been a source of liberalization, livelihood, exploration, expressionism and hobby. Though the ages we have seen the evolution in painting from cave painting, cubism to modern art. There have been some masterpieces that are regarded the finest and famous paintings. Painters glorified their name and became immortal with their creation.

Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci)

Mona Lisa is also known as La Gioconda. It is the most famous painting in the history of art. It is a 16th century portrait painted in oil on a poplar panel by Leonardo da Vinci during the Italian Renaissance. The painting hangs in the Musée du Louvre in Paris, France. The painting hangs with the title Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. Mona Lisa painting has achieved the celebrity status around the globe.

The painting depicts the portrait of a woman.

The Last Supper (Leonardo da Vinci)

Leonardo da Vinci is a well known for his masterpiece The Last Supper. It is a 15th century fresco created by Leonardo da Vinci for his patron Duke Ludovico Sforza and his duchess Beatrice d’Este. The Last Supper represents the scene from the final days of Jesus, when he announced that one of his Twelve Apostles would betray him.

He painted the Last Supper on the back wall of the dining hall at the Dominican convent of Sta Maria delle Grazie in Italy in order to "extend the room."

The Old Guitarist (Pablo Picasso)

The Old Guitarist is a painting by Pablo Picasso. He painted it in 1903 in Madrid, in a distorted style. The painting is popular for the skeptical presence of a mysterious image of the face of a woman painted underneath. In the image only the face and legs of the woman is visible. The old guitarist painting is currently placed at the Art Institute of Chicago in the Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection.

The Persistence of Memory (Dali)

The Persistence of Memory (1931) is one of the most famous Salvador Dali paintings. The painting is collection of ideas and its contents are enigmatic. It is the interpretation of dreams, perception of reality, time, birth, death and sexual desire. The Persistence of Memory is places in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in the New York city.

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon:

Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is a large painting depicting five prostitutes in a brothel. It is Picasso’s pivotal work in the development of modern art. It is placed in The Museum of Modern Art’s in New York City. To make this painting, Picasso drew each figure differently. The woman pulling the curtain on the far right sows a heavy paint application throughout. Her head is the most cubists of all five, featuring sharp geometric shapes.

Mona Lisa is perhaps the most popular painting in the world. It is the most frequently discussed work of art and a leading model of the various artistic techniques. The great Italian artist and inventor, Leonardo da Vinci, painted Mona Lisa. The painting has been the subject of extensive debates worldwide. Such discussions have widened even more the tremendous popularity of Mona Lisa. A lot of other artists have attempted to unlock many of the mysteries that surround the painting but up to now their efforts fail. Consequently they resort to theoretical interpretations. There are however widely accepted and interesting facts and theories about Mona Lisa.

Mona Lisa is actually not the real name of the person in the portrait. Mona is the common shortening of the Italian word ‘Madonna,’ which means ‘my lady.’ In addition the present spelling ‘Mona Lisa’ is just a result of a spelling error to the original name ‘Monna Lisa.” It is interesting though that even if the person in the painting is still not known up to now, it still remains as one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of mankind. The credit then solely belongs to Leonardo da Vinci himself.

Although a common theory suggests that Lisa Gherardini is the woman in the painting, no convincing supporting evidences can be established. Lisa Gherardini was a mother of two sons. Da Vinci’s possible motivation for choosing her remains a mystery. Another startling theory states that the person in the portrait is actually Leonardo da Vinci himself in a woman form. Such a belief can be a big joke for some but the possibilities surrounding Mona Lisa are infinite just as art itself is a field of never ending possibilities. With art, you can make unlimited modifications to the real object but keeping its essence.

A portion of the painting was damaged in 1956 when a man named Ugo Unganza threw a stone at Mona Lisa. The incident caused a small patch of damaged paint near the woman’s left elbow. Such an imperfection can have a lasting effect on the painting but the good thing is that the essence of the entire portrait is still intact.

One of the possible reasons why the painting caught the attention of the world is that it was stolen in 1911 from the Louvre Museum in broad daylight. After Mona Lisa was recovered it had already sparked people’s curiosity.

More than seven million dollars was spent just to make sure that the masterpiece is well protected. It is located in its own place at the Louvre Museum. The room where it is placed is climate controlled. To prevent it from all the possible risks, the painting is encased in a bullet proof glass.

Some people believe that Mona Lisa originally has eyebrows but they were unintentionally removed when a restoration and cleaning was done on the painting. On the other hand some suggest that the masterpiece was an unfinished work as Leonardo da Vinci was known for his being a perfectionist thus he usually ended up being unable to complete his work.