Mona Lisaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!
Today I bring story about Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda (La Joconde), is a 16th century oil painting on poplar wood by Leonardo da Vinci, and is arguably the most famous painting in the world. Few works of art have been subject to as much scrutiny, study, mythologizing and parody. It is owned by the French government and hangs in the Musée du Louvre in Paris. The painting, a half-length portrait, depicts a woman whose gaze meets the viewer's with an expression often described as enigmatic.
Today I bring story about Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda (La Joconde), is a 16th century oil painting on poplar wood by Leonardo da Vinci, and is arguably the most famous painting in the world. Few works of art have been subject to as much scrutiny, study, mythologizing and parody. It is owned by the French government and hangs in the Musée du Louvre in Paris. The painting, a half-length portrait, depicts a woman whose gaze meets the viewer's with an expression often described as enigmatic.
Title of the painting :
The title Mona Lisa stems from the Giorgio Vasari biography of Leonardo da Vinci, published 31 years after Leonardo's death. In it, he identified the sitter as Lisa Gherardini, the wife of wealthy Florentine businessman Francesco del Giocondo. "Mona" was a common Italian contraction of "madonna," meaning "my lady," the equivalent of the English "Madam," so the title means "Madam Lisa". In modern Italian the short form of "madonna" is usually spelled "Monna," so the title is sometimes given as Monna Lisa. This is rare in English, but more common in Romance languages. The alternative title La Gioconda is the feminine form of Giocondo. In Italian, giocondo also means 'light-hearted' ('jocund' in English), so "gioconda" means "light-hearted woman". Because of her smile, this version of the title plays on this double meaning, as does the French "La Joconde".
Both Mona Lisa and La Gioconda became established as titles for this painting in the 19th century. Before these names became established, the painting had been referred to by various descriptive phrases, such as "a certain Florentine lady" and "a courtesan in a gauze veil."
Mona Lisa’s smile :
Hey all you Monas and Leos out there. Did you ever wonder about Mona Lisa's mysterious smile. What makes it mysterious? It's not surprising that Leonardo da Vinci would keep us guessing. As a young boy he enjoyed telling jokes and creating riddles.
He was so inspired with so many interests that he would move from one project to the next sometimes leaving things unfinished. His many inventions from flying machines to ways to make a painting come to life are a testament to his genius. His love of secrets was legendary. Even his famous notebooks were written backwards so that you and I would have to hold them up in a mirror to read them!
Have fun with me. Color the Mona Lisa and imagine how Leonardo felt carefully choosing his colors. Maybe you have uncovered the secret of Mona's smile.
Da Vinci's Mona Lisa has been reproduced (posters, greeting cards, etc.) and reinvented (advertisements, artworks, etc.) more than any other artwork in the world. Mona mania began in the 19th century when the painting was stolen from The Louvre. The painting achieved an anthropomorphic status as French and Italian states sought to rescue the work as though it were a damsel in distress. The story of the theft appealed to the Victorian love of Romance in the art and Literature. The event inspired artists, playwrights and musicians to celebrate the painting by creating new works with the Mona Lisa in mind. They say the imitation is the highest from of flattery.
