Why? Because she is a mirror. We project our own neuroses, desires, and questions onto her serene face. We want to know what she is thinking. But the genius of Leonardo da Vinci is that he painted someone who is thinking. She is not a doll. She is a presence.
A: Conservators are terrified. Aggressive cleaning could remove Leonardo's original glazes. They are waiting for a non-invasive laser technology that doesn't exist yet. Monalisa