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Madrid museum finds 'copy of Mona Lisa by da Vinci pupil'

The discovery, hailed as one of the most remarkable in recent times, was made during conservation work and is believed to reveal how the famous sitter would have looked at the time.

"This sensational find will transform our understanding of the world's most famous picture," said Art Newspaper which published the findings.

The Prado painting was long thought to be one of dozens surviving replicas of the masterpiece made after Leonardo's death but it is now believed to have been painted by one of his key pupils working alongside the master.

The Louvre original, displayed behind glass, is obscured by cracked darkened varnish, making the woman appear much older than her true age. Because of its fragility, cleaning and restoration is thought to be too risky....

Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)