Mona Lisa was a mom  Mona Lisa had recently given birth to a
baby, a team of Canadian and French scientists announced
Tuesday, so her mysterious smile may have expressed the weary
joy of a mother with a newborn.  Using infrared technology that
allowed them to see beneath a layer of varnish, the researchers
found that Leonardo da Vinci's model had a gauzy layer over her
dress they say was typically worn by pregnant women of the time,
or mothers who had recently given birth. The filmy robe was
called a guarnello.   The infant was a boy, says Mr. Mottin,
born before Leonardo began painting the Mona Lisa in the early
1500s.  comments powered by Disqus History News Network