# was the  "Mona Lisa" really DaVinci's Self-Portrait?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-mona-lisa-really-davincis-self-portrait/402474>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 2, 2007, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-mona-lisa-really-davincis-self-portrait/402474 "2007-05-02T15:46:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-mona-lisa-really-davincis-self-portrait/402474/21 "2007-05-03T23:19:31Z")

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[QUOTE=JThunder]  
First of all, I think that remark was uncalled for.  
[/quote]  
It wasn’t in reference to you - it was about the nitpickers, _jumping in_. Sorry.

> [@](#):
>
> Second, I have yet to find a single biographer or art historian who says that “Da Vinci” is a valid surname for the great master, Leonardo.
> 
> “So what?” someone might say. Well, it seems to me that on a forum that’s dedicated to fighting ignorance, such attention to detail is warranted. The experts certainly don’t seem to think that its an invalid distinction.

OK, what _is_ the distinction, exactly?

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