I hope that the members of the list can help me with this question. I need
this information for my dissertation on the virtual museum.

I have noticed an imperfection, or mark, on the digital reproduction of
the "Mona Lisa" at the "official" Louvre museum web site that is sponsored
by the Paris institution.
(http://mistral.culture.fr/louvre/anglais/magazine/jocon.htm) There is a
gray green vertical line in the upper left quadrant of the image. This
mark extends from the frame to the beginning of the "Mona Lisa's" hair. I
originally thought this line was a "mistake" in the digitalization
process. Since then, I have discovered that this line appears even more
prominently on the WebMuseum site.
(http://sunsite.unc.edu/wm/paint/auth/vinci/joconde/joconde.jpg) Here the
line appears  as a mint green raised scar.

The same imperfection appears in Gardner's "Art Through the Ages" and
Janson's "History of Art."

My question is:

Are these sources using the same damaged negative (or positive) or does
this line reproduce some mark on the "real" painting? Is this imperfection
part of a crack or other damage?

I would greatly appreciate the group's insight.

Thank you,
M. White
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