The remains of Leonardo da Vinci are to be exhumed by a group of scientists who plan to reconstruct his face to discover whether his famed masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, is a self-portrait in disguise. Da Vinci was originally buried in a church that was destroyed in the French revolution of 1789 and his remains were then reburied in the castle’s smaller chapel of Saint-Hubert in 1874. The head of the Italian team, Silvano Vincenti, said the first step would be to ascertain if the remains are Leonardo’s. Discussions between French cultural officials and the owners of the chateau have resulted in an agreement in principle and the plans could receive a formal go-ahead this summer.

Tags: Monalisa, sfumato-fumo, Leonardo Da Vinci Painting, The Last Supper, painting techniques, leonardo da vinci, to, famous artist