Finding Aids to Special Collections in the VMFA Archives | Mona Lisa Memorabilia Collection SC-18
Special Collection 18 (SC-18)
![[logo]](http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/logos/VMFA.jpg)
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Archives
Margaret R. and Robert M. Freeman Library200 N. Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23220-4007
Business Number: 804-340-1495
library@vmfa.museum
URL: https://vmfa.museum/library/special-collections-archives/
Kevin Williams, Archives Intern; Finding aid encoded by Sylvio Lynch III, Archives Intern (2020)
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Use
The collection is subject to all copyright laws. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright, beyond that allowed by fair use, requires the researcher to obtain permission of copyright holders.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Custodial History
The collection was donated by Mary Moore Jacoby in January 1996.
Preferred Citation
Mona Lisa Memorabilia Collection (SC-18). VMFA Archives, Richmond, Virginia.
Processing Information
The assembled collection was left intact in the original binder.
Historical Note
The "Mona Lisa", believed to have been painted sometime between 1503 and 1506, is Leonardo da Vinci's most recognizable work, and is considered the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, and the most parodied work of art in the world. It is believed to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a successful silk and wool trader. With her enigmatic expression, and its atmospheric, imaginary background, the painting has captured the imagination. Because it is considered in the public domain, artists, including Marcel Duchamp, Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol, have been free to reproduce and alter the painting as they wished. The painting now belongs to the French Government and is on permanent display at the Louvre museum in Paris.