It turns out the master artist was more experimental with his renowned “Mona Lisa” than previously thought — and was likely the creator of a technique seen in works created a century later, a new study suggests. By using X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy, a team of scientists in France and Britain has detected a rare mineral compound within the iconic piece. The rare compound plumbonacrite was also found in "The Late Supper," as well as in several 17th-century works by Rembrandt. The “Mona Lisa,” like many other paintings from the 16th century, was created on a wood panel that required a thick base layer, Wallez said. The “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper” are two out of fewer than 20 known paintings Leonardo made in his lifetime.

---

Persons: CNN — Leonardo da Vinci, —, Mona Lisa ”, Rembrandt, Pier Marco Tacca, Leonardo, Gilles Wallez, ” Wallez, ”, Mona Lisa, Wallez, Mona Lisa ’, aren’t, William Wallace, St . Louis, “, Wallace Organizations: CNN, American Chemical Society, Sorbonne University, Washington University Locations: France, Britain, Italian, Paris, St .