Da Vinci Discovery -- A Texas artist who researched Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous painting for the past 12 years, claims arcane clues he detected in the ancient portrait have led him to new information that answers what many believe to be the most mysterious question in art history. Who was the Mona Lisa?
Houston, TX (PRWEB) May 11, 2006 -- A Texas artist who has researched Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous painting over the past 12 years, claims arcane clues he detected in the ancient portrait together with material he studied in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles and on the Internet, led him to new information that answers what many believe to be the most mysterious question in art history.
Who was the Mona Lisa and what does she represent?
Houstonian J. Antonio Farfan says the real name of the woman behind the enigmatic smile is not the silk merchant’s wife Lisa Gherardini, as many scholars speculate, but “Deborah,” a little known prophet and military leader described in Judges, the seventh book in the Bible.
Farfan says the folds in the sleeves of Mona Lisa’s dress and the way she holds her hands reveal a series of numbers and letters that are the cornerstone of his findings. He says the background of the artwork is also rife with clues.
The Texas man says for da Vinci, the Biblical character Deborah served as a symbol of hope for his Jewish mother who was a slave when the famous artist’s father took the boy from her care at age five. Historians say da Vinci painted the portrait more than 500 years ago and kept the masterpiece with him until he died.
Farfan, 38, was born in Monterrey, Mexico and has lived most of his life in Houston. He says a print of the Mona Lisa hung prominently on a wall in his parent’s home, “so I’ve been fascinated with her most of my life.” He earned a degree in fine arts from University of Houston in 1995, where he was a part-time student supporting himself as a construction worker. Today, Farfan has a studio located in Houston’s Montrose area, home to many of the city’s museums.
“What I’ve learned is not obtuse. Even a school child can appreciate why I believe Deborah represents Mona Lisa when shown the evidence.” Farfan credits modern technology for making his studies possible.
“Without the Internet I never could have accessed this information – not studying from my house nights and weekends in Houston, Texas, the way I did. It just wouldn’t have been possible.”
Farfan says he wandered through a labyrinth of unknowns for years before finally putting the puzzle pieces together. “Only within the last month have all my questions been resolved,” he says. “I was 98 percent certain before, now it’s 100 percent.” He acknowledges that da Vinci and his secrets are now the subject of popular discussion in books and movies, but claims this has nothing to do with what he has done.
“I’ve been studying the Mona Lisa for more than 12 years. For a while I lived in Paris and once I visited the Louvre just to stand there and look at her. It is pure coincidence that all of this has come together for me now. I’ve spent most of the last 30 days writing a book about my experiences.”
Farfan says he raced to finish the book in time to publish it on Mother’s Day in honor of Maria, his mother, and Carmelita, an aunt with whom he lived in Monterrey until he was six years old. “Of course I am also honoring the memory of Leonardo’s mother, Caterina."
Entitled "Cerca Trova: The Last Words of Leonardo da Vinci", Farfan’s book outlines his discoveries and describes the personal journey he took to find them. It includes diagrams and pictures that illustrate his conclusions.
“I know what I’ve found is true and I believe my conclusions constitute absolutely new and accurate information that has never been published anywhere by anyone until now. This is a dream come true for me,” he says. “Sometimes I can hardly sleep at night.”
Farfan admits most academics will not count him as an art scholar but believes their opinions do not diminish his work. “I think anyone who follows the clues I describe in "Cerca Trova" will come to the same conclusion I have: Deborah is the Mona Lisa through whom Leonardo da Vinci was able to honor his beloved mother.”
"Cerca Trova: The Last Words of Leonardo da Vinci", is available for free download on Farfan's website for a limited time -- www.jantoniofarfan.com. To contact Farfan personally, use the contact form on his website.
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