Why Is the Mona Lisa So Famous?

The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous and intriguing painting of all time. This painting was created by Leonardo da Vinci in 1503 to 1504. This painting is oil on panel and is 77 X 53 cm (Phaidon, 1994). This is a very naturalistic painting and is the greatest painting created in the renaissance era. The Mona Lisa has been one of the most debated paintings of all time. The look on the face of the women in this painting leaves a person’s mind wondering. No one really knows what this mysterious woman is thinking or feeling. Is she in love, sad or scared? hese questions will never be answered. This is what makes this painting so famous. The smirk on the face of the Mona Lisa is the key to making the painting so interesting. The second part that makes the painting so interesting is who the Mona Lisa is, was she Leonardo’s love, mistress, friend or a maid. One of the more wondered questions today is if the Mona Lisa is a man dressed as a woman or a woman (Phaidon, 1994). All these small details make the painting stand out by being different and remarkable. Leonardo created this painting using all the elements and principles of art.

The Mona Lisa has a very classical composition. A person is so intrigued by the painting that their eyes never leave the canvas. This painting is so special because of the type of color that Da Vinci created. This type of painting is called Sfumato, which is a type of shading that allowed him to shade differently (Phaidon, 1994). The color is a darker Hue, which also makes the painting even more interesting and Da Vinci has used a large amount of warm color. The lines in this painting are very precise and on point.

The Mona Lisa has a geometric shape to it, the woman being the center focusing point in the painting. This painting was created with a symmetrical balance and the rhythm of the painting is very flowing, only having one basic focusing point (Wikipedia , 2009). . The Mona Lisa is a very strong piece of visual art. The fact that there is simply just one woman and nothing to compare her to painting makes her even more interesting. She is judged and studied in so many different ways because of the fact that she is smirking and her smoldering eyes. In a way the weaknesses of the painting might also be this.

There will be no way to ever tell what the Mona Lisa is thinking or what she is staring at in such a way that a person can’t take their eyes from it. This painting is going to be discussed and studied by people for years and years to come. The mystery and the theories behind the painting are what is going to keep it so interesting to people for years to come. The lines and composition help the picture be so eye catching and creative. This beautiful painting will continue being an artistic mysterious to the rest of the world for the rest of time.