Male Mona Lisa theories

The commonly accepted explanation is that she was Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a silk merchant from Florence named Francesco del Giocondo; however, without irrefutable proof there are still an array of alternative theories.

[2] One theory is that the model for the portrait was Leonardo's longtime apprentice and suspected lover, Gian Giacomo Caprotti, also known by the nickname Salai.

[1][2] The theory that the Mona Lisa was modeled on Leonardo's suspected lover Salai is most staunchly championed by Silvano Vincenti, head of the National Committee for Cultural Heritage.

[3] Vincenti reported that he had used infrared technology to find earlier draft layers hidden underneath the Mona Lisa.

[1] Vincenti then compared the underlayers to several other paintings that Salai is widely believed to have posed for, including Saint John the Baptist and the Angelo Incarnato.