Researchers in Germany have finally unveiled the secret behind Mona Lisa’s enigmatic facial expression.
According to a recent study by University of Freiburg, the figure in Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th-century portrait is unequivocally happy.
Twelve participants were shown nine black and white photos of the Mona Lisa, eight of which had been digitally manipulated at the mouth; four made the model look happier, the other four sadder, Independent reported.
Black-and-white images of these eight replicas and the original were shown to 12 test participants 30 times. The participants were asked to say whether they perceived each of the figures in the nine images to be happy or sad, and how sure of their response they felt. Majority of the participants described the original, unaltered image as being happy.
The results of the study were revealed in “Mona Lisa is always happy — and only sometimes sad,” an article published Friday in Scientific Reports.
