By: Maya Pashai
Italy’s magnificent art has been famed throughout the world for centuries upon centuries. Many popular paintings and sculptures were created by Italian artists, some of the most famous works being The Last Supper, David, and The Birth of Venus. However, the most well-known masterpiece out of all of Italy’s art is Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting. The Mona Lisa has been renowned globally since the Renaissance period, and it is the most valuable painting in the world today. The Mona Lisa is currently located in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
Leonardo da Vinci was a famous Renaissance artist, scientist, and inventor. He was born on April 15, 1452 near Vinci, Italy, and his artistic talents were evident from a very young age. Da Vinci was apprenticed to painter and sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio when he was about 15 years old, and he developed his art skills with del Verrocchio for around 10 years. After his apprenticeship, da Vinci began working on commissioned art pieces. Though he created many paintings in his lifetime, the Mona Lisa was da Vinci’s most famous work of art.
The Mona Lisa is an oil painting painted on a panel of poplar wood. Leonardo da Vinci began the piece in 1503, and it was found in his studio after his death in 1519. He most likely worked on it sporadically over several years, adding different layers to the painting at different times. The Mona Lisa depicts a woman (whose identity is still debated today) who is sitting in front of a mountainous landscape and smiling mysteriously. The Mona Lisa showcases Leonardo da Vinci’s astounding artistic talents as well as his great understanding of human anatomy.
After Leonardo da Vinci’s death in 1519, the French king Francis I added the Mona Lisa to France’s royal art collection, where it was kept in French palaces for many centuries. It was hung in Napoleon I’s bedroom for a couple of years before being installed in the Louvre Museum at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian immigrant who briefly worked at the Louvre Museum. However, the painting was found in 1913, and Peruggia was tried and imprisoned for his actions.
The Mona Lisa is a very influential work of art that set the standard for all future portrait paintings during its time. The Mona Lisa has influenced artists, filmmakers, singers, and writers worldwide for hundreds of years, and it remains an iconic symbol of art today.
References:
"Mona Lisa". Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Dec. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mona-Lisa-painting. Accessed 19 June 2021.
Heydenreich, Ludwig Heinrich. "Leonardo da Vinci". Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Apr. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leonardo-da-Vinci. Accessed 19 June 2021.
“Leonardo Da Vinci: Mona Lisa.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/topic/Mona-Lisa-painting/images-videos#/media/1/388735/112397. Accessed 19 June 2021.
“Leonardo Da Vinci.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2 Dec. 2009, www.history.com/topics/renaissance/leonardo-da-vinci. Accessed 19 June 2021.