The Mona Lisa is arguably the most famous painting in the world, painted in the early 16th century, somewhere between by 1503 and 1506, by Leonardo Da Vinci.
The artwork was painted on a canvas block after being commissioned by a wealthy French businessman who wanted a portrait of his wife painted by the Italian Master, however, once it was completed, Da Vinci failed to return the product to his customer, perhaps because he was struck by its beauty and wanted to keep it for himself, or for another mysterious reason.
Whatever it is, what is certain is that people from around the world have been drawn to the painting in the Louvre for some reason.
For the most part, the Mona Lisa is famous simply for being famous. It is certainly not Da Vinci’s most ambitious artwork, but it remains his Magnum Opus. Many people have said that what makes the Mona Lisa so mysterious is that her smile and gaze have never quite been figured out.
It is said that she is smiling because she knows a secret, an idea that originated immediately after her unveiling to the public who, during the renaissance era valued knowledge and truth over anything.
Perhaps her secret is one about the artist, or the universe, but after all of the speculation, it is quite obvious that she hasn't opened her mouth to tell anyone.
Any mystery and simplicity that comes through in the painting does not in the slightest remove from the epic artistry of the painting, because simply put, it was the beginning of a style of portrait artistry that has continued to this day.
Traditionally, portraits were full length, and the fore and background details were equally vivid. The Mona Lisa, however, whoever she may in fact be, is painted from the waist up, with her arms folded on her lap.
This closeness gives the artist the ability to provide more detail to the face and more noticeable features, and the background noticeably becomes more out of focus, making the viewer stare at the subject instead of the surrounding area.
To this day, no one can really say what it is that makes the Mona Lisa so special, and it may well be that this, in fact, is what has cemented her place as one of the most recognizable figures in the world.
Written by: Wesley Geyer
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