8 Hidden Secrets In The Mona Lisa

7. Proof She's Not A Prostitute

The Lisa del Giocondo theory might be the most accepted, but there are plenty of other ideas about the identity of the Mona Lisa. Some suggest that it was Leonardo da Vinci's mother, others that she was a mix of female and male models, and some even reckon that it's a gender-swapped self portrait of the man himself. Well, he did have some pretty luxurious locks, based on Da Vinci's Demons.

Which is 100% historically accurate, so far as we know. The evidence to back up this claim also lie in the painting itself, alongside some of that infra-red analysis, and it's...it's pretty weird. It's all to do with hairiness. According to the history books, the only women in 16th Century Italy who would be so hairless of the face - no brows, lashes, or moustache - was a prostitute. Whilst the model displays all the characteristics of respectability for that time, with the veil and everything, this is some pretty compelling evidence to the contrary. In the Middle Ages, women working in the oldest profession kept their mugs good and hairless in order to make their glances more insidious, more arousing. Apparently.

The other piece of historical evidence people point to is that the hair she does have - on her head - is worn in the fashion or prostitutes of the time. Well, it was customary for both prostitutes and unmarried young women, although back in the day they probably amounted to the same thing. The olden days were pretty sexist, you guys. But wait, she's a married, pregnant noblewoman! That infrared analysis revealed that it's not actually loosely hanging down, but seems attached at the back of the head to a bonnet or pinned back into a chignon. So that's nice.