The Mona Lisa is widely considered the greatest portrait of all time. It appears in countless advertisements, has inspired poetry, sculpture, forgeries, and theft. But seriously, why? The painting is small, only 30 x 21 inches, the color is somber, the background seems desolate and eerie, and the subject isn’t anyone historically significant. So, what is all the brouhaha about? Is it really all about her mystifying gaze and a quirky smile? Well, let’s take a closer look.
Da Vinci’s greatest innovation here is the relaxed and informal three quarter pose of the subject. Although Mona Lisa’s pose may seem common place and almost trivial today, it was revolutionary in the early 16th Century. Prior portraits were stiff and contrived and mainly consisted of profiles.
This pose established a new style of portrait painting that is still the de facto standard to day over 500 years later. The pyramidal composition of the portrait is also a Da Vinci innovation. Notice the wide base of the painting which appears heavier than the top. Mona Lisa’s hands form the front corner of the pyramid. Your eyes are drawn to the top of the painting in that infamous enigmatic smile. Furthermore, most portraits of the time were full length. Da Vinci’s more intimate cropping was immediately imitated by masters such as Rafael.
Sfumato is Italian for blended with connotations of smokey. Leonardo coined the term to explain his explain his technique of layering translucent layers of color to create the appearance of depth, volume and form. The blending of colors became so subtle that the gradations are hardly perceptible. The area around her eyes as well her hair and her scarf has a semi-translucent, smokey feel that give the painting a sense of movement. The technique is also used in the background to create a sense of harmony between the sitter and the landscape. Keep in mind that this was a completely new technique that added a sense of realism that was utterly unparalleled in its time.
Leonardo’s love of rocky landscapes is seen in several of his paintings. Of note here is how the two landscapes on either side of Mona Lisa’s head are physical impossibility. The landscape on the left is noticeably lower than the landscape on the right. This is also one of the first portraits to use an imaginary landscape. Lastly, the fact that the background becomes hazier and more out of focus as distance increases was a major breakthrough that added to the realism of the painting.
Paintings of this time created equal levels of detail in the foreground and background. Most experts agree that overzealous cleaning removed the eyebrows which were added after the paint dried. Regardless, poor cleaning techniques definitely caused the greenish hue of her skin tone. However, Leonardo was known for more somber color palettes than his contemporaries. Da Vinci’s extensive anatomical dissections of over 30 cadavers lead to his incredibly accurate depiction of these delicate and beautiful hands. These half circular forms are the bases of pillars on either side of an open logia. Copied sketches by Raphael proved that part of the painting was lost when it was removed from its original frame.
Who is she? Experts disagree but she is most likely Madonna Lisa di Antonio Maria Gherardini, wife of wealthy Florentine, Francesco del Giocondo who commissioned the painting in 1503. Da Vinci probably never finished the commission as parts of the painting were likely painted as late as 1510. Like many great portrait painters, he probably walked the fine line between accurate representation and flattery. Perhaps, he then began to infuse his own views of ideal beauty into the subject. Leonardo never finished the commission and it is said that he traveled with the painting in order to show of his talents. Scientist cannot agree as to why Mona Lisa smile is interpreted so differently by different people. Theories range from the nature of human vision to Sigmund Freud’s interpretation of the smile signifying Leonardo’s erotic attraction to his mother. The mystery of the smile is what makes the painting so engaging.
This work introduced several revolutionary painting techniques. Displayed a supreme mastery of technique by its artist and continues to inspire intrigue in many who view it. It is safe to say that Leonardo’s masterpiece will likely remain as one of the greatest portraits of all time.
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