You know her , you ’ve seen her simulacrum unnumerable times , and you ’re aware of her closerelationship with Beyonce and Jay - Z. But if you ’ve ever star at the ( sort of ? ) smile lady ’s fount and wondered why in the world she ’s take such a chef-d’oeuvre , you ’re not alone . Art is after all , a subjective experience , yet the world is seemingly unanimously ghost with Mona Lisa . So why is she such a liberal deal ?
The Origin Story
First matter ’s first : Yes , Mona Lisa was a real person . And whilescholars have debatedwho that somebody was for centuries , most trust the seat subject ofLeonardo da Vinci ’s famous work was Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo , aka La Gioconda . The Florentine lady ’s loaded silk merchant husband may have commissioned the portrayal to celebrate the at hand parentage of their child , but for some unexplained reason , the Giocondo fellowship never in reality came into possession of the painting . The pregnancy theory does add up though , if you believe scholars who mull over the subject ’s sly smile and loose clothing are a nod to maternity on the horizon . Most historiographer agree that da Vincistarted the paintingin 1503 and continue to work on it for about four years .
The Technical Side of Things
Beauty is in the oculus of the beholder , but most graphics experts — whether they truckle over Mona Lisa or not — concur that da Vinci ’s painting includes some rotatory technique that make it technically impressive . The dash of the painting in itself is the most celebrated example of da Vinci ’s signaturesfumato method acting , which conflate colors and tones in a soft , shaded manner without hard billet or border ( " sfumare " is theItalian wordfor " shade , " and " fumare " entail " smoke " ) .
Da Vinciincorporated another open up proficiency into his innovation : the desegregation of an notional landscape painting and the use of aeriform view . Mona Lisa is invest in open space , with decidedly nonspecific mountains , bridges and winding paths behind her in the aloofness . The dreamy landscape painting is a departure from the naturalistic scope artists of the time painted into their portraits , and many have associated the serene natural element and the topic ’s calm expression with a bully commentary on the human connection to nature .
The Mona Lisa is also one of the earliest case of an Italian portrayal portraying a subject at " half - length " ; the arms and hand are exhibit , but they do n’t touch the skeletal system , and she ’s sitting in a chair .
And of course , there ’s that creepy-crawly but iconic characteristic of Mona Lisa ’s optic seemingly following the viewer wherever they go . The weirdly intimate property is a result of da Vinci ’s subordination of shadows and illumination , and while he was n’t the first one to follow through the proficiency , many people touch on to the illusion as the " Mona Lisa Effect . "
The Theft Heard ‘Round the World
While Mona Lisa definitely has a fortune go for her in the direction of esthetic skill level , thematic complexness and unique introduction , she definitely developed the majority of her fan following after an infamous incident at the Louvre .
On Aug. 21 , 1911 , three youthful Italian handymen sneak out of the side entry of the famous Gallic museum with Mona Lisa in tow . The fact that it contract 26 hours for anyone to notice she was lose perhaps talk to the down in the mouth point of renown the painting had up to that point . Even though da Vinci had created the piece in the other 1500s , critic did n’t really take notice until the 1860s , and even then , the irrefutable accolades were few and far between , and exclusively within the art world itself .
But once the portrayal went missing , the universe take notice in a major way . Newspapers all over the world printed headlines about its disappearance , and the great unwashed started concocting all kind of conspiracytheories about the likely robbers(American tycoon J.P. Morgan and famed creative person Pablo Picasso wereboth consider suspects ) . The Louvre shut down for a calendar week , and when it reopened its doors , stacks of people flocked to the museum to see the " soft touch of shame " ( aka the empty spot on the wall ) for themselves .
It took 28 months for the lead thief , Vincenzo Perugia , to attempt a re - sale of their stolen merchandise , and an artistry verandah owner quick confirmed the item ’s authenticity with a glimpse at the stamp on the back . The dealer said he ’d make certain Perugia got a reward , and instead , sent the police after him ( Perugia pled guilty and served just eight month in prison house ) . And while the painting was returned to its true home , hoi polloi around the world keep to gabble about its disappearance . Over time , they just kept shoot the breeze , and these sidereal day , Mona Lisa is one of the most famous women in the human race , rivaling Beyonce herself .
Mona Lisa FAQ
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