A meticulously-crafted facsimile of the famed Mona Lisa is coming to the Italian Cultural Center in the North Loop on April 26th. It was painstakingly created by world renowned Minnesota native Mark Balma, using the same techniques and materials that Leonardo da Vinci used in the 16th century to create the original, such as Oil of Spike Lavender and Walnut Oil.

And just as da Vinci did, the classically-trained Balma painted his facsimile on a single pane of poplar wood after a finely-crafted Italian frame was affixed to it. As a young adult, Balma studied in Florence with Italian master Pietro Annigoni. He has portraits and frescoes on display throughout Europe and the United States.