This February, on the occasion of London Fashion Week, a select audience will bear witness to the legendary “Mona Lisa”— arguably the most famous femme in the history of the world. In keeping with this particular issue’s Jungian themes of shadow identities and multiple selves, however, the “Mona Lisa” in question is not the one that resides at The Louvre, but rather lives inside a chic private residence in London’s Knightsbridge. Here, the centuries-old painting will be unveiled by its owner Dr. Aaron Roni Neumark, a cosmopolitan collector who acquired the work a few years ago via Christie’s Auction House in New York.

“It is received wisdom that about five original versions of the ‘Mona Lisa’ were painted by Leonardo da Vinci and his students, and this is one of them,” says the art collector, a passionate and respected connoisseur who dedicates much of his time to the preservation of fine artworks. “The painting went on sale credited merely as being by a ‘follower of Leonardo Da Vinci’ and was sold by a private collection who bought it from its previous owner in Japan circa 1990, but it turned out to be a 16th century one, by Da Vinci’s immediate follower.”

As the trustee and custodian of the extraordinary Neumark Family Trust & Collection, Neumark is a man who would know. His ancestors founded the intergenerational family art and Judaica collection that he now oversees back in 19th century Prussian-Germany, and it contains over 5,000 rare works. “The collection holds oil paintings, drawings, rare books, engravings, etchings, illustrated and illuminated scrolls, and manuscripts,” says Neumark, “as well as other visual works on porcelain, parchment, silk, and paper, dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries, representing 500 years of art, culture, and legacy. Neumark also owns several of the rarest books in the world, such as first editions by Shakespeare and Copernicus, an atlas printed on parchment by the 16th century cartographer Battista Agnese, prayer and religious books on vellum, and sole copies of Hebrew books from the earliest stages of printing in Europe (“Incunables”).

Neumark also owns dozens of original etchings by Rembrandt van Rijn, illustrating Biblical scenes from the Old Testament. “It is my intention that the collection will eventually be shared with the world,” says the 48-year-old, who is probably the youngest collector of Judaica at this level. And it’s clear in speaking to him that he is passionately committed to drawing wider audiences into this truly fascinating niche of art. “The unveiling of the ‘Mona Lisa’ is the first small step in a journey that will lead to the establishment of The Neumark Museum,” he declares.

Living between a number of prominent international art cities, Neumark currently likes to live amongst many of his glorious treasures, which are carefully displayed in his various residences, where he celebrates their existence and allows guests to get truly up-close-and-personal. His London residence alone is a veritable trove of extraordinary artefacts and artworks. “I live with them, as I believe in a living history,” says the collector, who is often spotted at Europe’s most exclusive cultural events. “I want to share the many stories at the heart of the collection, because a better understanding of the past can help us shape a better future.”

One such story is that behind his “Mona Lisa”: The work is presumed to have been executed by an immediate follower of Leonardo da Vinci, most likely at the court of King Francis I of France (1494-1547)—a prodigious patron of the arts—who bought the original from the master himself. It was Neumark’s keen eye that led him to this painting, which was available via Christie’s October 2022 Old Master Paintings Sale in New York. He intuitively sensed the work needed further scrutiny and decided to bid on it. After successfully acquiring the painting, he employed a team of leading forensic scientists who painstakingly analyzed the color palette, pigment samples, layer structure, and aging process to authenticate and date the composition used in the piece. After much examination, they confirmed the piece was indeed painted in the 16th century. He then sought the advice and treatment of the leading art conservationist and restorer, Simon Gillespie, and his professional team on the painting.

Leonardo da Vinci and his students created a handful of different versions of the iconic painting. The most famous is obviously at The Louvre in Paris, and another can be found at the Museo del Prado in Madrid. “The conservation team discovered that the painting was made by copying the Louvre’s original—or the Prado version—at a very early stage, when the original was not dirty and obscured, as it is known and seen today,” shares Neumark. “They have examined the overall pattern of cracking across the whole paint surface, which was typical of the painting’s presumed age. Tests have also suggested that the color palette of the Neumark “Mona Lisa” is comparable to the Prado version, executed by one of Leonardo’s close pupils.”

The other iterations of the paintings feature in private collections, including the Isleworth “Mona Lisa,” which is owned by a private consortium in Switzerland. “Ms. Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo—Mona Lisa—is an eternal and incomparable icon, and from now on, another jewel in the crown of The Neumark Family Trust & Collection,” says Dr. Neumark with characteristic charm as our time at his Knightsbridge apartment draws to a close. “I have always thought of her, personally, as the world’s first supermodel—so it is an immense privilege to spend time with her.” 

Photographed by Marciano Vivanco