Am I, Dare I Say, Basic?

THE Classic

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have now been forced out of my comfort zone and asked to write about a piece of art from a long time ago. But don't worry, not only will my GPA be alright, I plan on taking it to new heights! Because I do everything BIG. Clothes size? LARGE. Shoe size? 13. McDonald's Big Mac Meal? SUPERSIZE IT. So why would I not talk about the biggest piece of art EVER? I don't even have to say the name, just look at it. angelic music playing

 

stops the track Okay, that's enough. It's time to get serious. This piece of work deserves the utmost respect. I sincerely apologize, Ms. Lisa. To get my last thoughts out about this piece, I would say that I know more about it now that I'm in this class, but I still have the same opinion. One day, I might go to the museum to look at it, and my kid is going to look up at me and say, "Dad, what is this piece of work that I'm looking at?" And I'm going to say, "Son/Daughter, this right here is the first yearbook picture put onto paper." Would I like a copy of it? No, I would only like to have the original for flexing purposes only.

To give a quick backstory on this, I would say that the Mona Lisa is a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, created around 1503-1506. It shows a woman, who, although there are different scholars and appreciators of art who might say it's Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a rich merchant, the identity is not certain, and it's known for her mysterious smile. The painting is in the Louvre Museum in Paris, where it became super famous, especially after it was stolen in 1911 and then found in 1913. People all over the world love the Mona Lisa because of its intriguing look and Leonardo’s amazing skill, making it a top masterpiece of Renaissance art.

The Art Breakdown

Okay, so when I look at what was going on during the Italian Renaissance, I see now that Humanism is what I draw from this portrait. A characteristic of it is the emphasis on human reason, spirit, and physical beauty, and as I describe it, you will see exactly what I mean. Although not often mentioned in relation to Humanism, a factor that helps bring it out is realism. This is because, during those times, people of status and wealth were shown in paintings with very stylish clothing, hairstyles, and accessories. Here you see Mona Lisa in her elegant simplicity, which is more relatable to the larger audience of people. It even resonates with me as well, because anyone into fashion knows that the slight drip is the best drip. If you know, you know, but let's carry on.

Also, another point of Humanism is the focus on her face, which is a focal point because now that I'm analyzing it, I see that the background of this image is absolutely beautiful as well. But due to the aerial perspective in this art, it puts the background farther into the distance and draws the Mona Lisa forward. Another point about this is that because of the lack of identity of the Mona Lisa and the slight features, such as the slight smile and the positioning of the eyes, millions of people are fascinated and create a unique character in their minds. You can read about a few of them in a link I'll place below.

I could go on and talk about this forever because, at first, I figured this would be a yawn-fest, but there's actually a lot of layers to break down. However, I'll leave it to the people that get paid to do it. Have a blessed day, everybody!

Reference Links:

Khan Academy: "Leonardo, Mona Lisa." Khan Academy, by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/high-ren-florence-rome/leonardo-da-vinci/a/leonardo-mona-lisa.

Art & Object: "Mona Lisa: A Brief History of Da Vinci’s Famous Painting." Art & Object, https://www.artandobject.com/news/mona-lisa-brief-history-da-vincis-famous-painting#:~:text=Mona%20Lisa%20showcases%20many%20painterly,background%20fades%20into%20the%20distance.

Getty: "Mona Lisa." Getty, https://www.getty.edu/cona/CONAFullSubject.aspx?subid=700000213.

Britannica: "Why Is the Mona Lisa So Famous?" Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/story/why-is-the-mona-lisa-so-famous#:~:text=The%20writers%20of%20the%2019th,it%20caused%20an%20immediate%20sensation.