Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Mr Paratico offered his take on the little-known Caterina, believed to be Da Vinci’s mother, identifying her as the sitting figure whose portrait hangs in the Louvre and is arguably the most famous painting in the world.
Mr Paratico, who has just released a book entitled Leonardo Da Vinci: a Chinese scholar lost in Renaissance Italy, cited the work of Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud, who in 1910 proposed that the artwork must have been inspired by the painter’s mother.
"One wealthy client of Leonardo's father had a slave called Caterina. After 1452, Leonardo's date of birth, she disappeared from the documents," Mr Paratico said.
Although recognising that the evidence supporting his theories is slight, Mr Paratico also said the painting showed a typically Chinese landscape in the background.
"To make her an oriental Chinese, we need to use a deductive method," he added.
The article’s claims had a huge reaction on Sina Weibo, China’s state-approved micro-blogging site, generating more than 160,000 responses – many of which were mocking Photoshopped versions of the iconic painting with Chinese comedians’ faces replacing the original.
"I now understand why her smile looks so mysterious and concealed - it's typically Chinese," said one poster.
In November, Newstalk's Talking History discussed the enduring mystery of the Mona Lisa. Listen to highlights from the show below:
