SURVEY III

The Mysterious Lady

DA VINCI COMPLETES THE MONA LISA: Design and Fashion

The Mona Lisa is definitely one of the most influential pieces of art made in history. It is a globally recognized masterpiece. Lovers of art and even people that aren’t art enthusiasts know about the Mona Lisa, so it’s safe to say that its influence has been widespread throughout the years. The painting itself changed and revolutionized contemporary portrait painting. It brought other artists to further explore more freer studies for their paintings and therefore brought connoisseurs to purchase more paintings.

A Masterpiece

Mona Lisa – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa

There are thousands of replicas made of the Mona Lisa. Many of Da Vinci’s pupils use the Mona Lisa as reference and made copies of his masterpiece in order to learn and further develop their skills. Da Vinci’s master masterpiece influenced many masters of that time and beyond in the way they approached painting portraits.

Protected Against Attack

The Mona Lisa – https://unsplash.com/photos/CdebKdGj4FY

Da Vinci’s art was also influential on fashion. He started the trend where artists dressed their own subjects. Leonardo wrote “As far as possible avoid the costumes of your own day.…Costumes of our period should not be depicted unless it be on tombstones, so that we may be spared being laughed at by our successors for the mad fashions of men and leave behind only things that may be admired for their dignity and beauty.”

The Mona Lisa is a great example of the effects dressing a subject had on the paintings; The Mona Lisa demonstrates this aspect by having a monochromatic outfit that’s loosely pleated at the neck, instead of the tight clothes that were very popular during that period. Many Artists followed this practice following Da Vinci’s painting within their own works of portraits figures.

A Global wonder

The Louvre – https://nypost.com/2019/05/06/leonardo-da-vincis-claw-hand-injury-may-explain-mona-lisa-mystery/

There is no doubt that Leonardo Da Vinci was a master of his time. The Mona Lisa greatly influenced the Renaissance and the times that came after it. It now stands in a bullet proof and temperature sensitive glass in a gallery of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The Piece has been a part of the museum’s collection since 1804.