The 15 Best Mona Lisa Imitations in History

Before the Mona Lisa achieved worldwide celebrity status with it's headline-making 1911 theft, its status as a masterwork was mostly known by art world elites. Those who recognized its genius honed their craft by imitating her knowing gaze, the mysterious smile—and now 15 of the best Mona Lisa reproductions from throughout history have been curated as a new collection on Electric Objects (EO) called Lona Misa.

The digital art display frame and curation platform gathered copies of the iconic portrait, selecting the public domain's highest resolution images that stay true to the original composition. Lona Misa includes both anonymous artists and famous remixes, like Marcel Duchamp's mustachioed LHOOQ. EO's Alex Ginsberg tells Creators many nude versions were excluded.

The intention behind the piece is to compare the digital age's copyright tribulations to the quandaries that have always existed in industries relating to information and aesthetics. As one of many companies trying to crack the digital art distribution model, EO has a particularly large stake in this conversation.

For a hint at their current position on the subject, look no further than the final sentence of the Lona Misa's description: "Can you guess which one is the real thing?"

"Spoiler, the 'real' Mona Lisa isn't actually included in our series," Ginsberg says.

Check out the full Lona Misa collection on the Electric Objects website.

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