Lisa del Giocondo
Lisa del Giocondo (* June 15, 1479 in Via Maggio in Florence as Lisa Gherardini, † July 15, 1542 in the Monastero di Santa Orsola in Florence) was the wife of a Florentine cloth and silk merchant Francesco di Bartolomeo di Zanobi del Giocondo.
She is the person that da Vinci is shown in the portrait of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo, which probably originated 1502-1506 in Florence, and it shows with her famous smile.
Mona is short for Madonna, which in turn is an abbreviation of Mia Donna and literally My wife within the meaning of wife means.
Curriculum vitae
Lisa del Giocondo was born Lisa Gherardini di Noldo on June 15, 1479 in Via Maggio, Florence, daughter of the landowner Anton Maria di Noldo Gherardini and Lucrezia del Caccia his third wife. She was named after her paternal grandmother, who also was named Lisa.
Origin
Lisa's father, Anton Maria di Noldo Gherardini was born into a wealthy old aristocratic family. Anton Maria belonged to a time six farms in Chianti, wheat, wine, olive oil and cattle testified.
Anton Maria di Noldo Gherardini had been previously married twice. In 1465 he married Lisa di Giovanni Filippo de Carducci and Caterina di Mariotto Rucellai in 1473. Both wives died in childbed. 1476 then married Anton Maria di Noldo Gherardini third wife Lucrezia del Caccia, daughter of Piera Spinelli. The first child of this marriage was Lisa Gherardini di Noldo. Lisa was the oldest of seven children of this marriage. She had three sisters, one of which was called Ginevra, and three brothers, Giovangualberto, Francesco and Noldo.
Marriage
Lisa di Gherardini Noldo married on March 5, 1495 at the age of 15 years the cloth and silk merchant Francesco di Bartolomeo di Zanobi del Giocondo ( 1465-1538 ) at the age of 30 years. Lisa was Francesco's third wife. 1491 he had Camilla di Mariotto Rucellai married and di Mariotto Villani Tommasa 1493. Both wives died. The second wife of Lisa's father, Anton Maria, Caterina di Mariotto Rucellai, and the first wife of Lisa's husband Francesco, Camilla di Mariotto Rucellai, were sisters. Lisa's dowry was 170 florins and the San Silvestro farm, lying between Castellina in Chianti and San Donato in Poggio. There later Michelangelo Buonarroti had two farms.
Francesco bought on March 5, 1503, a house next to the old family house in the Via della Stufa. This was possibly the reason for the making of the portrait of the Mona Lisa.
Lisa and Francesco had five children are known by name: Piero, Camilla, Andrea, Giocondo, and Marietta, who were born 1496-1507. Another ( unnamed ) daughter died shortly after birth. In addition, Lisa still Bartholomeo educated, the son of Francesco from his second marriage to Camilla di Mariotto Rucellai, who was born in 1490, ie at the time of the marriage of Francesco and Lisa was 5 years old.
Death
Francesco died in 1538 at the age of 73 years of the plague. The year before, in June 1537, he gave her back the dowry to another livelihood. After the death of her husband Lisa moved to the monastery Monastero di Santa Orsola, which was dedicated to Saint Ursula of Cologne, where her daughter lived as a nun Marietta since 1521 as a sister Ludovica. There she died as recorded on July 15, 1542 at the age of 63 years. The relevant entry reads: " " Donna di Francesco del Giocondo fu Mori Addì 15 di luglio 1542 sotterrossi in tutto il Orsola Tolse capitolo ".
Portraits during his lifetime
Leonardo da Vinci made in his life probably two portraits of Lisa del Giocondo, namely first the Isleworth Mona Lisa and later, the Mona Lisa in the Louvre.
The latter he painted at the same time with a student who painted the Mona Lisa in the Museo del Prado, as the matching corrections at both portraits and the slightly lower skill of the student in the brushstrokes show.
Mona Lisa in the Louvre Leonardo
Mona Lisa in the Prado by his pupil