Tuscany. Francesco del Giocondo hired Leonardo in Vinci to paint a portrait of his wife, 24-year-old Lisa Gherardini, later Lisa del Giocondo. Lisa would later be portrayed by Leonardo da Vinci in the famous painting “La Gioconda” (Mona Lisa). Leonardo likely accepted because he was a family friend, but also because he had no delivery obligations, as he had with royalty. Leonardo, as often happened to him, never finished the work, much less delivered it to Francesco, and therefore was never even paid (as, indeed, often happened to him).
