Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci was born April 15, 1452. He was raised in Vinci, near Florence. He was an artist, scientist, astronomer, engineer, and inventor. The artist died on May 2, 1519. 'Mona Lisa' was painted from 1503 to 1506. The woman in the painting is believed to be Lisa Gherardini. She married a wealthy Italian merchant when she was 16. At the time of the painting she was 24 and had two sons. 'Mona Lisa' is an oil painting on a poplar wood panel.
The painting was purchased by the King of France, Francois I, in the 16th century. By the 1800s, it was hanging in Napoleon's bedroom. It was there until 1797 when it moved to the Louvre in France where it is painting #779.
'Mona Lisa' has been stolen and damaged over the years. She was stolen on August 21, 1911 by a museum employee. The painting was recovered two years later in 1913 when the thief tried to sell it to an antique dealer. She was damaged in 1956 when a man threw a rock at it, damaging a little part of her left elbow.
Edvard Munch Edvard Munch was born December 12, 1863 in Löten, Norway. He was a painter and printmaker whose emotional themes were a major influence on the development of German Expressionism. Munch's parents, a brother, and a sister died while he was still young. It may explain the sadness of much of his work. His work 'The Scream' or 'The Cry' was created in 1893 and was part of a series 'The Frieze of Life'. The popular painting used waxed crayon and tempera to create this expression of fear. The reddish sky in the background was believed to be inspired by the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa in 1883. Munch died in January 23, 1944 in Ekely, Norway.
'The Scream' made headlines on August 22, 2004, when it was stolen by robbers from an Oslo, Normandy museum. The robbery took place around the anniversary of the theft of 'Mona Lisa' in Paris in 1911. This was the second time in a decade that a version of the painting was stolen. The earlier theft took place in 1994 and the painting was recovered.
