Mona Lisa Dog Shirts

Leonardo da Vinci started the Mona Lisa in Florence around 1503 and kept working on it for years. For a long time it was simply a well-known painting in the Louvre. Then, in August 1911, a museum worker named Vincenzo Peruggia walked out with it under his coat, and the newspapers turned the empty space on the wall into an international story. The painting was recovered in Florence in 1913, and by then it had become the most famous portrait in the world, and the one most often parodied.

Every design here keeps the parts everyone knows: the folded hands, now folded paws, the dark Renaissance dress, the winding road and misty mountains behind, and that expression nobody can quite read. Then a dog sits in the chair. Most are called "Smile Under Review," which fits a breed like the Pug or the English Bulldog, whose faces look solemn even when they are delighted, and the rest say "Mystery Wears Well," which suits a Doberman, a German Shepherd or a Great Dane rather nicely. A Pomeranian and a Shih Tzu bring a lot more hair to the portrait than Lisa Gherardini ever did. There is one for each of our 21 breeds.

The painting is in the public domain. These are our own new drawings in the spirit of the original, not reproductions.

Every design here is printed on our Washed Tee: 100% cotton, 250 gsm, washed vintage finish, relaxed unisex fit, S to 5XL, three colors per design, printed in the USA. 2 or more tees ship free in the US, and 3 or more get 15% off automatically. For more painting parodies, see Starry Night dog shirts, Dogs Playing Poker shirts and Offbeat Classics. Shopping for her? Read our breed guides such as pitbull gifts for her and Boxer gifts for her.

If you like a famous face with a dog in it, see Girl with a Pearl Earring dog shirts, often called the Mona Lisa of the North, and Creation of Adam dog shirts.

FAQ

Is this a copy of the Mona Lisa?

No. Each design is our own new drawing that parodies Leonardo da Vinci's painting with a dog in the sitter's place. The original painting is in the public domain and hangs in the Louvre in Paris.

Why do the shirts say Smile Under Review?

It is a joke about the Mona Lisa's famously hard-to-read smile. Many dogs have the same problem: a serious face on a happy dog. Some designs say Mystery Wears Well instead.

How do these tees fit?

The Washed Tee is a relaxed straight unisex cut and true to size, from S to 5XL, so most people order their usual size. Check the chest width in our size guide. Tees are printed to order, so we cannot take returns for a wrong size.