How did the Louvre gain ownership of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa painting?

Answer 1

Provenance:
Acquired by François I, either directly from Leonardo da Vinci, during his stay in France, or upon his death from his heirs, the painting remained in the royal collections from the beginning of the sixteenth century to the creation of the Central Arts Museum at the Louvre in 1793. We know that it was kept at Versailles under the reign of Louis XIV and that it was in the Tuileries during the First Empire. Since the Restoration, the Mona Lisa has always remained in the Louvre Museum, a key piece of the national collections.

The Louvre say

This portrait was doubtless painted in Florence between 1503 and 1506. It is thought to be of Lisa Gherardini, wife of a Florentine cloth merchant named Francesco del Giocondo - hence the alternative title, La Gioconda. However, Leonardo seems to have taken the completed portrait to France rather than giving it to the person who commissioned it. It was eventually returned to Italy by Leonardo's student and heir Salai. It is not known how the painting came to be in François I's collection.

Answer 2

Hey Prstlyone,

The first site provides some clues to the mystery of the painting, and the original commissioning by Leonardo's father.

Second site: "Moreover, the provenance, or history of the ownership of the work, parallels that of an authentic Leonardo cartoon titled Portrait of Isabella d’Este, ..."

Third site: "Provenance:
Acquired by François I, either directly from Leonardo da Vinci, during his stay in France, or upon his death from his heirs, the painting remained in the royal collections from the beginning of the sixteenth century to the creation of the Central Arts Museum at the Louvre in 1793. We know that it was kept at Versailles under the reign of Louis XIV and that it was in the Tuileries during the First Empire. Since the Restoration, the Mona Lisa has always remained in the Louvre Museum, a key piece of the national collections."

Answer 3

it was bought by louis XIV and moved to the palace of versailles and moved to the louvre after the french revolution. it's currently owned by the french government.

Answer 4

yes...the Mona Lisa never was sold, it remain in the Loire Valley