An interesting fact of da Vinci's life and attitude towards painting is provided in a biography of the artist by Antonina Vallentin: "Leonardo himself knew that masterpieces are born of [his] fear and doubting." Apparently almost crippled with fear at the start of a new project, da Vinci worked under extreme emotional stress. This makes the calmness of the Mona Lisa all the more striking. My aesthetic response towards the painting has only been strengthened, but not altered, by the background information on its creation and the magnificent artist behind it.
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Mona Lisa and the Nude Woman by Da Vinci Few paintings in history have received as much discussion, debate and parody than has Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Believed to have been painted between 1503-1506, its mystery remains locked into the wry grin that crosses the Mona Lisa's lips. This is the distinguishing feature of what may well be the most famous portrait in the world. But upon closer consideration of
He addressed her simply as "madam," refusing to grant ownership of the face he addressed to the wife of the Gioconda merchant it was rumored had modeled for the painting, querying her as to the secrets she so impishly withheld. "I have studied you, I have studied Leonardo your creator and God, and still you only smile, never so much as a whisper stirring your lips," the Emperor muttered quietly,
The controversies around her smile and eyes have generated almost as much research and debate as the painting itself. Anyone who has seen Leonardo's Mona Lisa had the illusion that the Gioconda was staring at them irrespective of their angle. There have been numerous scientists who have attempted to deconstruct this particular aspect, and explain how human sight responds to Mona Lisa's eyes. For instance, Margaret Livingstone, a professor
The theory speculates that the name Mona Lisa is actually a play on the words Amon-L Isa who is an Egyptian God and an Egyptian Goddess blended together (Why The Mona Lisa Smirks A Book Review of The Da Vinci Code by Rev. Marty Fields (http://www.thirdmill.org/newfiles/mar_fields/CH.Fields.WhyTheMonaLisaSmirks.7.9.04.html). While both of these theories are religiously based there is also a theory that is not based in any religion and that is the
Recently at least one mystery has been solved. A current article in Reuters Berlin states that Dr. Armin Schlechter has discovered dated notes in the margin of a book in the Heidelberg University Library that confirm that the identity of the Mona Lisa is Lisa del Giocondo wife of the wealthy Florentine merchant of those times, Francesco del Giocondo. (Elgood) Although she has always been the primary candidate, again
Mona Lisa Smile The movie "Mona Lisa Smile" has within its plot and theme a number of examples of gender construction, and the characters play out their roles based largely on the concept of the social construction of gender. This paper will delve into how gender roles are portrayed in the film, and the paper will use available literature and critiques of the social construction of gender. Social Construction of Gender An article
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