HISTORY buffs in Isleworth are smiling like the Mona Lisa after an earlier version of the famous portrait, which shares the town’s name, was unveiled.

The work, believed to have been painted a decade before the original, was presented to the world’s experts last week in Geneva, Switzerland.

It depicts a woman whose hair, hands, eyes, nose and most importantly, mouth, all bear striking similarities to Lisa del Giocondo, the woman painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1517.

The new version is believed to be the work of the same hand, painted in 1503, and the portrait itself has become known as The Isleworth Mona Lisa.

Its main differences are it is painted on canvas, not wood, it has two columns visible either side and the woman is clearly a lot younger.

It was discovered shortly before the First World War by local art collector Hugh Blaker in a former home of a nobleman. He took it back to his studio and gallery at numbers 55 and 57 Church Street, Isleworth, which is where it got its name.

Isleworth historian Kevin Brown described Mr Blaker as having had ‘a very good eye’ but claims he is largely forgotten by the local community now.

He said: “He once bought a Rubens portrait in 1913 for £68 and sold it for £4,000, so he certainly knew his stuff.

“He lived from 1873 to 1936 and as well as his collecting was advisor to the well known Davies sisters in Wales and unofficial mentor to actor William Hartnell (the first television Doctor Who). People used to come from all over to visit and the Isleworth Mona Lisa would certainly have been on display at that time.

“From what I know about it, I would certainly like to believe it is genuine. Many artists did two versions of paintings. Fellow artist Raphael made a sketch of the painting (also in the Louvre) but his shows columns either side of the woman, which indicate it was the Isleworth version he saw, not the one in the Louvre today.

“I think it’s great that the name of Isleworth still holds today and I would certainly like to go an see the painting when it goes on tour.”

The Mona Lisa Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, was responsible for brining the painting to light after it had lain in a bank vault for 40 years.

It was taken to Switzerland by Henry Pulitzer and is now owned by an international consortium who acquired it from his late partner in 2008.

At the same time as the unveiling, a 320-page book entitled Mona Lisa – Leonardo’s Earlier Version, was launched detailing 35 years of research and convincing arguments the painting is genuine. It is not a view shared by all experts, but the ones who attended the unveiling are clear on what they believe.

Professor Alessandro Vezzosi, director of the Museo Ideale Leonardo da Vinci, said: “As far as we know today the Isleworth Mona Lisa seems to be the one that, more than any other, presents two elements that could well be traced back to the 1503 Lisa.”

Professor John F. Asmus, research physicist at the University of California, said: “I firmly believe that significant portions of the Isleworth painting were executed by Leonardo da Vinci.”

The painting is likely to be taken on tour next year and will hopefully make it to London.

John Eyre, a British art historian wrote in his books of 1915 and 1924, copies of which are held in Hounslow Library: “That the Isleworth Mona Lisa will be acknowledged someday as Giocondo’s version I have not the shadow of a doubt.”