Leonardo da Vinci and the Mona Lisa

ABSTRACT

This paper is a tribute to the late Fred Pine, PhD. Relating to Dr. Pine’s original exploration of preoedipal and preverbal development, it discusses and amplifies Freud’s interpretation of Leonardo’s dream. It further explores Leonardo’s early development and regards the Mona Lisa as a representation of his biological mother. It is a springboard for considerations of early development and object relations.

KEYWORDS:

• Developmental phase
• Preoedipal
• Object relations
• Separation-individuation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Harold P. Blum

Harold Blum, MD, is the Executive Director Emeritus, Sigmund Freud Archives. He is a past Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association and is himself the author of more than 180 psychoanalytic papers and several books. He is a past Vice President of the International Psychoanalytic Association. He was the inaugural Sigourney Award honoree and the recipient of numerous other awards and lectureships. He chaired five Symposia on Psychoanalysis and Art in Florence, Italy.