Random Thoughts

[Alan V]

I'm not sure if it's any better artistically. It's a more or less exact copy done by one of his students and it's just better preserved.

Boru

When it's more or less an exact copy AND it's better preserved, what real edge does the original have on it besides fame and actually having a name attached to it?

First of all, the original IS the original and not a copy -- Leonardo created an original composition.  Second, there are many subtleties in the original which are not present in the copy.

For instance, per Google: "Sfumato is a painting technique for creating soft, hazy transitions between colors and tones, eliminating harsh lines to achieve a "smoky" or "blurred" effect. It was famously used by Leonardo da Vinci to add realism and atmospheric depth, particularly in facial features and landscapes, as seen in the Mona Lisa. The technique involves using thin, transparent layers of paint, often blended with a dry brush, to mimic how the human eye perceives soft gradations of light and shadow."