The Mona Lisa Has No Eyebrows

The enigmatic gaze of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous subject is known worldwide, but a closer look reveals a curious omission. For centuries, the subject's smooth, hairless brow has fueled a debate between two main theories. The first points to the high fashion of the Florentine Renaissance, where noblewomen would pluck their facial hair, including their eyebrows, to create the appearance of a higher, more intellectual forehead. This was a common beauty standard of the era, and a portrait of a prominent woman like Lisa del Giocondo would have likely reflected it.

Modern science, however, has shed new light on the mystery. In 2007, French engineer Pascal Cotte used high-intensity, multi-spectral cameras to analyze the painting at a microscopic level. His scans revealed the faint trace of a single brushstroke where her left eyebrow would have been, as well as evidence of eyelashes. This discovery strongly supports the second theory: that Leonardo did originally paint them. It is now widely believed that the delicate hairs, likely rendered in a very thin glaze, were unintentionally removed or simply faded away over five centuries of cleaning, varnish application, and restoration attempts.