Group claims Da Vinci painted early Mona Lisa work
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A painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and representing Mona Lisa is seen during a preview presentation in a vault in Onex near Geneva, Wednesday, September 26, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
GENEVA (AP) - A Zurich-based foundation says it will prove to the world on Thursday that Leonardo Da Vinci painted an earlier version of the Mona Lisa.
The Mona Lisa Foundation, which owns the Isleworth Mona Lisa, says that after 35 years of research, experts believe it predates the famed 16th-century masterpiece by about a decade.
The Isleworth painting - likewise a portrait of a young woman with an enigmatic smile - is slightly larger, was painted on canvas and has brighter colours than the famed Louvre Museum masterpiece painted on wood.
The group is presenting its findings to reporters on Thursday in Geneva.
