The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait of a figure believed to be the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. Since 1797, the Mona Lisa has been on display at one of the most famous museums in the world, Paris’ the Louvre Museum. The Mona Lisa is considered to be the most famous painting in the world. It was painted by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci, in approximately 1503 to 1506. He worked on it in Italy and finished it in France. It was later acquired by King Francis I of France and became the French Republic’s property.