Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (1503), the picture on the left, is an iconic painting, often referred to as enigmatic because no one knows who the subject of the painting is. The color scheme further conveys the mystery surrounding the painting; despite the appearance of blue, orange, and golden-yellow, the colors are fashioned in a way that makes them appear neutral and dark. The subject's face is a closed-mouth, slight smile that can be described as if she is withholding a secret.
The painting on the right, however, adds an entirely different slant to the significance of the original. It is called Mujer
de mano de Leonardo Abince and was found during a restoration project in 2012. At first, it was credited as one of da Vinci's paintings, but was later attributed to being a painting by one of his young pupils. Many have speculated that the painting depicts a younger version of the original. Such youth is expressed with the use of colors such as red, blue, and white - none of which appear neutral, but rather bold, compared to the original. While being reserved an modest is associated with being older, being bold and adventurous is associated with being younger.
Perhaps, the paintings have nothing to do with youth and aging, but life and death instead. In the pupil's painting the subject's cheeks are reddish as if she still has blood pumping through her veins whereas the original looks as if her skin tone is the same throughout as if she is pale and lifeless. That would explain the grim background in the original versus the lively one in the pupil's painting.
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