One of da Vinci’s most recognized paintings, the Mona Lisa, was completed not long before he died in 1519. This portrait is believed to be the young wife of a rich Florentine silk merchant, Francesco del Giocondo. Another one of Leonardo’s well known paintings is the Last Supper. When painting this, he rejected the fresco technique which was normally used for wall paintings. He developed a new technique that involved coating the wall with a compound he had created. Soon after Leonardo completed the picture the paint began to flake away. Many artists have tried to restore it, but it still remains in poor