It was because her husband was well- to-do. Remember that only wealthy people would have had their portrait painted and they would only have a portrait painted once in their lives. And portrait was supposed to be very much about status and position.
The Mona Lisa is a portrait of the wife of a Florentine silk merchant, and so her gaze would have been meant for her husband-Giocondo.
And for the reason unknown (but I say, because Leo didn’t feel finished), the portrait was not delivered to its patron, and ended up in the collection of King Francis I of France.
Answers & Comments
Answer:
It was because her husband was well- to-do. Remember that only wealthy people would have had their portrait painted and they would only have a portrait painted once in their lives. And portrait was supposed to be very much about status and position.
The Mona Lisa is a portrait of the wife of a Florentine silk merchant, and so her gaze would have been meant for her husband-Giocondo.
And for the reason unknown (but I say, because Leo didn’t feel finished), the portrait was not delivered to its patron, and ended up in the collection of King Francis I of France.
Source: Leonardo’s Mona Lisa (Smart History)