Painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the early 16th century, the Mona Lisa is widely believed to portray Lisa Gherardini, a Florentine merchant’s wife. Using revolutionary techniques like sfumato, Leonardo ...

You may have seen the Mona Lisa on coffee mugs, phone cases, textbooks, and museum walls, but Leonardo da Vinci’s painting still holds a number of mysteries that were uncovered only in recent decades.

SAN FRANCISCO — For centuries, the “Mona Lisa” has beguiled art buffs unable to resist speculating on its origins and meaning. Now a French inventor claims to have some answers, including the fate of ...