Professor, have you been troubled by Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile too?

BBC news:

For centuries, art historians have been troubled by Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile - but, according to one doctor, her cholesterol levels were more worrying.

For Dr Vito Franco, from Palermo University, she shows clear signs of a build-up of fatty acids under the skin, caused by too much cholesterol.

He also suggests there seems to be a lipoma, or benign fatty-tissue tumour, in her right eye.

Dr Franco says his medical examinations reveal more than artistic viewings.

"Illness exists within the body, it does not have a metaphysical or supernatural dimension," Dr Franco told La Stampa newspaper.

"The people depicted in art reveal their physicality, tell us of their vulnerable humanity, regardless of the artist's awareness of it," he added. Read more>>