Renaissance Art: Mona Lisa

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About Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa is arguably the most famous painting in the world. It is predicted that Leonardo da Vinci completed the oil painting between 1503 and 1506 after fleeing to Florence during the Milan invasion (History.com Editors 2022). He painted a series of portraits during this time however, Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda as it was once called, is the only remaining portrait (History.com Editors 2022). 

Portraits were often commissioned by wealthy people during the Renaissance period. Mona Lisa is thought to be commissioned by a wealthy merchant who mysteriously never received the painting of his wife (Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris 2015). Leonardo da Vinci held onto the painting and brought it with him to France where it became a part of the royal collection and remains today (Louvre.fr Editors). 

The Louvre Museum in Paris, France displays Mona Lisa in the largest room of the palace (Louvre.fr Editors). It is hung in a glass case and is always guarded. Although there are other pieces hung in the room, Mona Lisa remains the focal point being hung on the center wall by itself. 



Analyzing Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa is a half portrait painting of a woman with a landscape behind her. The woman is the main focus of the piece being large and in the center. The composition of the painting as well as the figure's body language greatly represents humanism. According to Saphic Omer, "Mona Lisa is an ambassador for the dignity and humanity of all people. She possesses her enigmatic expression, and even her individual identity was hard to ascertain, which was perhaps deliberate, in that personal identities and attributes did not really matter. What mattered was the actuality that Mona Lisa was utterly human standing for a microcosm of life and the human race." Leonardo da Vinci was influenced by Northern Renaissance art and chose to have the figure facing the viewer and to include more of her body such as her arms and hands which was uncommon in Italian Renaissance portraits. Many parts of the painting are effortlessly blended or smokey which makes the figure stand out. This technique was also introduced by Da Vinci and is known as sfumato (Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris 2015). The light in the piece is coming from above as the bottom of the painting is darker and more shadowed. The clothing painted in the piece displays a strong example of texture, revealing the folds and creases within the fabric. Overall, Mona Lisa captures Leonardo da Vinci's mastered skills as an artist. 

Final Thoughts

Many people look at Mona Lisa as being a symbol of happiness because of her captivating smile however, I find her smile to come across mischievous. She also seems to always have her eyes on you no matter the direction you move. The dreamy gaze makes me believe she was a powerful woman and she was aware of the power she held. People tend to question its fame but I think it's well deserved especially considering all that the painting has been through and how influential Mona Lisa was for the time period. 

Sources

History.com Editors. “Leonardo Da Vinci.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Jul. 2022, https://www.history.com/topics/renaissance/leonardo-da-vinci.

Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris. “Leonardo, Mona Lisa.” Smarthistory, 9 Aug. 2015, https://smarthistory.org/leonardo-mona-lisa/.

Louvre.fr Editors. “From the 'Mona Lisa' to 'The Wedding Feast at Cana'.” Le Louvre, https://www.louvre.fr/en/explore/the-palace/from-the-mona-lisa-to-the-wedding-feast-at-cana.

Omer, Saphic. “The Humanism of Da Vinci's ‘Mona Lisa’ and Michelangelo's ‘David.’” IslamiCity, 31 Aug. 2022, https://www.islamicity.org/81585/the-humanism-of-da-vincis-mona-lisa-and-michelangelos-david/.

Comments

  1. The Uncrustable KyOctober 7, 2022 at 4:48 PM

    I think that The Mona Lisa represents humanism well, and you pointed out that her hands are included in the portrait which was uncommon for the time period. I think that this further represents humanism because it displays more of the individual, or perhaps it insinuates that this woman was of high status. In this case, it still presents an aspect of humanism that is specific to the Renaissance era. The colors are very muted, and the shadows and highlights are pretty contrasting without being too sharp in transition which adds to the softness of the painting. It almost looks like it had a yellow-green filter over the whole painting. I wonder if the muting of the colors was deliberate.

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