--- product_id: 17157056 title: "Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered" brand: "dianne hales" price: "£13.81" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 10 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/17157056-mona-lisa-a-life-discovered store_origin: GB region: Great Britain --- # Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered **Brand:** dianne hales **Price:** £13.81 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered by dianne hales - **How much does it cost?** £13.81 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/17157056-mona-lisa-a-life-discovered) ## Best For - dianne hales enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted dianne hales brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered ## Images ![Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81bFe29UBFL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars The author is as spellbinding and capable a storyteller as she is an historian. *by L***O on Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2015* As a former New Yorker and an old Italy hand--I am a professional translator Italian>English, have lived in Italy for decades, and am a novelist myself (Kindle, Verdi's Dream), I can be quite harsh judging novels set in Italy, books about Italy from an often naive or starry-eyed foreigner's point of view, and books on Italian history (particularly on the Italian Renaissance,my favorite period). This book, which I came to quite serendipitously through a FB reference, just blew me away, however. It brings the glorious Italian Renaissance to life, from the personalities to the dress codes to the aromas and sometimes the stench of the vias and vicolos, to the unfathomable genius of Leonardo. Of course it is quite a task simply to get the research about Florence and its golden age right--which the author has done. I felt as though I were with her at every discovery, in every archive, in every courtyard of that incredible city. Some may think there is too much Italian in the book--but I love it, because instead of trying (and of course it would mean failure) to explain certain Italian terms, the author leaves them in context and we must fend for ourselves in context. This is as it should be, I think. All of this means that I come away from each reading (and I haven't finished the book yet and don't want to--then I will have to close this particular door on the Renaissance) knowing the Mona Lisa no better than before, but understanding better where she came from, what her life must have been, and the regard in which her genius portraitist held her. This is a completely lovely book, unpretentious and so knowledgable. The author is as spellbinding and capable a storyteller as she is an historian. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars The lives behind the face... *by G***L on Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2014* Author Dianne Hales's "Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered" is an excellent story of painter and subject; of a canvas and the world in which it was painted. It is Florence in the late 1400's/early 1500's, the ultimate "Renaissance Man" Leonardo Da Vinci, and, Mona Lisa Gherardini del Gioconda.Dianne Hales has tracked down and written about the real Mona Lisa. The records of her existence are available in files and books in Florence and Hales has put them together in a book. Part of the book is factual - dates and marriage and children - but some is conjecture about Lisa Gheraradini's thoughts and actions. Hales couches her wording, using terms like "could have" and "might have", which softens the conjecture for the reader. She has learned enough about Lisa - her family, both birth and marital - and combining that with information about Florentine history - both social and governmental - gives the reader an encompassing view of the woman and her world.But Dianne Hales also looks at both the painter, Leonardo, and his life, as well as the long life of the canvas. From Leonardo's possession to that of French royalty, to finally life in the Louvre, the "Mona Lisa" has been in French hands since the early 1500s. Except, of course, for life on-the-run as a kidnap victim in 1911; the painting was returned to the museum in 1913, only leaving it again under careful chaperonage.Dianne Hales' book reveals the woman behind the face in the painting. It's a marvelously readable book. And if you like reading about paintings and their subjects, pick up Carola Hick's "Girl in a Green Gown: The History and Mystery of the Arnolfini Portrait". ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book *by A***O on Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2017* I got this book to assist my 10 year old daughter on a "Faces of History" project she did through our homeschool community (Classical Conversations).It was above her reading level and with some adult content (some just complicated stuff and some regarding sexual relationships of the time -mild content, just not stuff for 10 year olds). So I read sections that pertained to her report and through others to help find more information.My daughter wrote on the main theme that there must have been something special about Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo if:•her father would sell off some of his family pride (land) when they had so little left to their claim of nobiity/landed gentry to secure her marriage;•if her husband married her with no dowry and just a small plot of land worth much less than a proper dowry;•if Leonardo chose to paint her portrait while turning down the commissions of royalty•If Leonardo's portrait of her has captivated people so greatly and for so longThe books is fascinating and I loved the ins and outs of the adventure Dianne Hales takes us on as we discover intimate details of Lisa's life and her time and place in history. It's what some would call "a living book" -such a refreshing break from the boring and dull accounts found in textbooks and most other reference books we could find.I did not read it straight through, but plan to (soon). What I did read, through (at least half of it) was fantastic.If you want information about the most likely woman of the famous portrait, want a great look at life in Florence in the mid 1500s to mid 1600s, or looking for just a good history and travel based read -get this book! --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/17157056-mona-lisa-a-life-discovered](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/17157056-mona-lisa-a-life-discovered) --- *Product available on Desertcart Great Britain* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-04-22*