Episode 2
Bitten by the Mona Lisa bug, Dianne Hales delves deep into the history of the noble Gherardini ancestors. Read by Nancy Crane.
A genius immortalised her. A French king paid a fortune for her. An emperor coveted her. Every year more than 9 million visitors trek to view her portrait in the Louvre. Yet while everyone recognises her smile, hardly anyone knows her story.
Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered - a blend of biography, history, and memoir - truly is a book of discovery about the world's most recognised face, most revered artist, and most praised and parodied painting.
Who was she, this ordinary woman who rose to such extraordinary fame? Why did the most
renowned painter of her time choose her as his model? What became of her? And why does her smile enchant us still?
The author, Dianne Hales, is a prize-winning, widely published journalist and author. The President of Italy awarded her an honorary knighthood in recognition of her internationally bestselling book, La Bella Lingua.
Reader: Nancy Crane
Abridged by Eileen Horne
Producer: Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4
Last on
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Reader | Nancy Crane |
| Producer | Clive Brill |
| Abridger | Eileen Horne |
| Author | Dianne Hales |
Broadcasts
Tue 12 Aug 201409:45BBC Radio 4 FM- Wed 13 Aug 201400:30BBC Radio 4
- Tue 30 Apr 201914:45BBC Radio 4 Extra
- Wed 1 May 201902:45BBC Radio 4 Extra
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