When looking at the famous painting, the Mona Lisa, created by the multi skilled Leonardo da Vinci, most will admit that it is extremely difficult to appreciate the painting. After all, it is just a woman who is sitting on a chair, barely smiling. With just a glance, the smile almost appears to be less than genuine.

What is significant about this painting? Well, to a psychologist, there is more to Mona Lisa than that basic smile. He may say that her eyes sparkle with some sort of desire. It is possibly a desire for Mr. Leonardo himself. She is looking straight into his eyes, after all. Her entire upper body is also facing toward him. Maybe this is a genuine smile.

No one truly knows who she is. Some say this woman may not even be a woman, but perhaps Mr. Da Vinci’s androgynous lover. Others suggest that the sitter is just a lowly prostitute. Many are very sure that she is Lisa del Giocondo, the wife a successful Florentine businessman. The mystery of her identity does make her seem all the more beautiful. Many have come to obsess themselves with it. Art lovers, genealogists, regular people; they all want to know.

The Mona Lisa is obviously something more than a painting. It has been the inspiration behind songs, books, and even movies. She has a story, possibly a significant one. What if, however, the story is meant to remain buried with her? Maybe the mystery is one that should simply be appreciated, and not one that should be solved.