Nude Mona Lisa-Like Painting Surfaces

Indeed, several other claims of unclothed Mona Lisas have been made over the years, pointing to the theory that Da Vinci might have had fun with the famous image he had created around 1503-1506.

"There are at least six nude version which are very close to Da Vinci's hand. All are attributed to the Da Vinci school. The most likely scenario is that his followers got inspired by a now-lost original," Vezzosi said.

According to Vezzosi, the original naked Mona might have been part of a series of erotic portraits by Da Vinci and his pupils, which were never really shown because they were considered inappropriate.

Called "Monna Vanna," the topless versions of the Mona Lisa are indeed often considered the portraits of a court mistress or prostitute.

Nevertheless, these paintings inspired nudes by other artists, including Raphaello's 1518 portrait of his mistress, "The Baker Girl."

"Our quest for naked Mona Lisas continues. We are now on the tracks of another interesting version in Las Vegas," Vezzosi said.

via Nude, Mona Lisa-Like Painting Surfaces: Discovery News.