Much of the Mona Lisa’s fame can be attributed to Victorian literature and culture and more specifically the works of Walter Pater and Michael Field amongst many others, who immortalized the painting with their subversive writing. Both authors challenged Victorian gender assumptions through the way they read the painting in an era marked with conformity, conservatism, and specific gender roles. By questioning widely believed notions through the authority of a male voice, Michael Field set the groundwork for the empowerment of women and challenged readers to look beyond outward gender. Walter Pater challenged hegemonic gender assumptions in Victorian society and attempted to legitimize homosexuality through his essay Notes on Leonardo Da Vinci, amongst other works.