Author: Mark Traston
Mona Lisa is perhaps the most popular painting in the world. It is the most frequently discussed work of art and a leading model of the various artistic techniques. The great Italian artist and inventor, Leonardo da Vinci, painted Mona Lisa. The painting has been the subject of extensive debates worldwide. Such discussions have widened even more the tremendous popularity of Mona Lisa. A lot of other artists have attempted to unlock many of the mysteries that surround the painting but up to now their efforts fail. Consequently they resort to theoretical interpretations. There are however widely accepted and interesting facts and theories about...
Mona Lisa.
Mona Lisa is actually not the real name of the person in the portrait. Mona is the common shortening of the Italian word 'Madonna,' which means 'my lady.' In addition the present spelling 'Mona Lisa' is just a result of a spelling error to the original name 'Monna Lisa." It is interesting though that even if the person in the painting is still not known up to now, it still remains as one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of mankind. The credit then solely belongs to Leonardo da Vinci himself.
Although a common theory suggests that Lisa Gherardini is the woman in the painting, no convincing supporting evidences can be established. Lisa Gherardini was a mother of two sons. Da Vinci's possible motivation for choosing her remains a mystery. Another startling theory states that the person in the portrait is actually Leonardo da Vinci himself in a woman form. Such a belief can be a big joke for some but the possibilities surrounding Mona Lisa are infinite just as art itself is a field of never ending possibilities. With art, you can make unlimited modifications to the real object but keeping its essence.
A portion of the painting was damaged in 1956 when a man named Ugo Unganza threw a stone at Mona Lisa. The incident caused a small patch of damaged paint near the woman's left elbow. Such an imperfection can have a lasting effect on the painting but the good thing is that the essence of the entire portrait is still intact.
One of the possible reasons why the painting caught the attention of the world is that it was stolen in 1911 from the Louvre Museum in broad daylight. After Mona Lisa was recovered it had already sparked people's curiosity.
More than seven million dollars was spent just to make sure that the masterpiece is well protected. It is located in its own place at the Louvre Museum. The room where it is placed is climate controlled. To prevent it from all the possible risks, the painting is encased in a bullet proof glass.
Some people believe that Mona Lisa originally has eyebrows but they were unintentionally removed when a restoration and cleaning was done on the painting. On the other hand some suggest that the masterpiece was an unfinished work as Leonardo da Vinci was known for his being a perfectionist thus he usually ended up being unable to complete his work.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-articles/mona-lisa-by-leonardo-da-vinci-434817.html
About the Author
Mark Traston is an associate with Portrait Painting. The company specializes in custom portrait painting. Each portrait artist specializes in a specific area including wedding paintings, baby portraits, and executive portraits. A custom portrait makes a great wedding, anniversary, or birthday gift.
Mona Lisa is perhaps the most popular painting in the world. It is the most frequently discussed work of art and a leading model of the various artistic techniques. The great Italian artist and inventor, Leonardo da Vinci, painted Mona Lisa. The painting has been the subject of extensive debates worldwide. Such discussions have widened even more the tremendous popularity of Mona Lisa. A lot of other artists have attempted to unlock many of the mysteries that surround the painting but up to now their efforts fail. Consequently they resort to theoretical interpretations. There are however widely accepted and interesting facts and theories about...
Mona Lisa.
Mona Lisa is actually not the real name of the person in the portrait. Mona is the common shortening of the Italian word 'Madonna,' which means 'my lady.' In addition the present spelling 'Mona Lisa' is just a result of a spelling error to the original name 'Monna Lisa." It is interesting though that even if the person in the painting is still not known up to now, it still remains as one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of mankind. The credit then solely belongs to Leonardo da Vinci himself.
Although a common theory suggests that Lisa Gherardini is the woman in the painting, no convincing supporting evidences can be established. Lisa Gherardini was a mother of two sons. Da Vinci's possible motivation for choosing her remains a mystery. Another startling theory states that the person in the portrait is actually Leonardo da Vinci himself in a woman form. Such a belief can be a big joke for some but the possibilities surrounding Mona Lisa are infinite just as art itself is a field of never ending possibilities. With art, you can make unlimited modifications to the real object but keeping its essence.
A portion of the painting was damaged in 1956 when a man named Ugo Unganza threw a stone at Mona Lisa. The incident caused a small patch of damaged paint near the woman's left elbow. Such an imperfection can have a lasting effect on the painting but the good thing is that the essence of the entire portrait is still intact.
One of the possible reasons why the painting caught the attention of the world is that it was stolen in 1911 from the Louvre Museum in broad daylight. After Mona Lisa was recovered it had already sparked people's curiosity.
More than seven million dollars was spent just to make sure that the masterpiece is well protected. It is located in its own place at the Louvre Museum. The room where it is placed is climate controlled. To prevent it from all the possible risks, the painting is encased in a bullet proof glass.
Some people believe that Mona Lisa originally has eyebrows but they were unintentionally removed when a restoration and cleaning was done on the painting. On the other hand some suggest that the masterpiece was an unfinished work as Leonardo da Vinci was known for his being a perfectionist thus he usually ended up being unable to complete his work.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-articles/mona-lisa-by-leonardo-da-vinci-434817.html
About the Author
Mark Traston is an associate with Portrait Painting. The company specializes in custom portrait painting. Each portrait artist specializes in a specific area including wedding paintings, baby portraits, and executive portraits. A custom portrait makes a great wedding, anniversary, or birthday gift.
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