Neurotic and a teeth gnasher: Mona Lisa is exposed  The
enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa has fascinated art lovers since
the painting was completed in 1504. Described by the 16th
century artist and writer Giorgio Vasari as "more divine than
human", explanations for the smile have included that she was
happily pregnant, suffering from asthma, or that it was the
result of listening to music while posing for Leonardo da Vinci.
But now an Italian doctor is proffering a new explanation: Mona
Lisa suffered from acute anxiety which led her to grind her
teeth.  "I think Mona Lisa was a woman who suffered from a
serious anxiety neurosis, who was stressed and fundamentally
unhappy," said Dr Filippo Surano.  "As a result she was, from an
early age, in the habit of grinding her teeth at night. This
repetitive and unconscious activity would have caused various
types of headache, as well as mouth infections and probably a
secondary kidney infection, with nephritis possibly causing the
swelling visible in her hands and fac