To me the Mona Lisa is no more than a well done painting of?

Question

a woman. I see nothing about it that would justify all the hype we hear so much about it. There are many paintings of women in this world, many just as well done, any with one or another expression on their face; so what is so special about this one?

Answer 1

Leonardo's "Mona Lisa" is significant because of what it was in the time that it was made. What I mean by that is in the early renaissance, all female portraits were profiles and they gave little to no indication of the woman's individuality and personality. It just showed some kind of symbols that represented her feminine and household roles. The "Mona Lisa" is one of the first frontal portraits of a female. Not only is that a first, but Leonardo gives her life and personality. She gives you a smirk which is something you don't see on earlier female portraits. This makes the painting intriguing. It makes you wonder who she is and what she's thinking about. There is an inner beauty quality to her that you don't get to see in other portraits of the time. This painting is much more personal.

It's not really about whether or not she's beautiful on the exterior or if the style that Leonardo chose is the most rendered or not. It's about seeing that this woman is alive. It's not a dull portrait. You want to look more into her.

I personally don't care much for the painting myself but you can't deny it's significance.

Answer 2

Art is an acquired taste. But sometimes people tend to make a big fuss over a piece simply because it was done by a famous person.

If a painting that was basically chicken scratch was displayed somewhere and the painter's name tag was of an obscure artist, the critics would tear it apart.

But take the same painting and change the painter's name tag to Leonardo Da Vinci and the critics review would be praising the genius brush strokes and the layering techniques and the visionary mind of the great artist.

Go figure!

Answer 3

Many famous men in Italy during The Renaissance period would commission artists to paint their lovers. Prostitution was no stranger. It has been suggested that "The Mona Lisa" could have been a prostitute, and possibly Leonardo's lover. I'm not an art historian, but I believe that this was also one of the first paintings of the era to use polar opposites.

Answer 4

The Mona Lisa is considered to illustrate the sum of Leonardo's knowledge of art and science.

Here's a nice description why:
http://library.thinkquest.org/15962/data/davinci-monalisa.html

Answer 5

It is an art, u never understand it's beauty.