Résumé
Since 2004 an international research goup rof Wood Technologists has been given by the Louvre Museum the task of analysing the mechanical situation of the wooden panel on which Leonardo da Vinci painted his “Mona Lisa”, possibly between 1503 and 1504. The general purpose of such study was to evaluate influences which could possibly derive from environmental fluctuations in the showcase where the painting is exhibited, and any measure which could improve its conservation conditions. In order to acquire data about the mechanical behaviour of the panel, and to feed and calibrate appropriate simulation models, the team has not only set up a continuous monitoring by means of automatic equipment, but has also performed manual measurements on the occasion of the annual openings of the showcase where the masterpiece is conserved and exhibited.