Write a paper that is a biography of The Mona Lisa, beginning with its creation and original purpose. Then, write a narrative of what happened to the painting itself over time. The painting has experienced major changes to its reputation, a wild array of pop culture theories, and is now famous largely because it is famous. How did this happen? What does this tell us about fame, value, and pricelessness as it is conceived in the art market? Note: In writing this paper, please keep in mind that the painting The Mona Lisa is an object, not a person (in other words, do not refer to the painting as “she.”)
Sources:
1. https://youtu.be/URcpchlTNBY
2. Mona Lisa, the Ultimate Guide To The World’s Most Recognizable Portrait (mymodernmet.com)
3. Efforts to identify the subject of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa discussed | Britannica
4. The Theft That Made The ‘Mona Lisa’ A Masterpiece : NPR
5. About Leonardo – Smarthistory
6. Leonardo, Mona Lisa – Smarthistory
7. Video of Leonardo da Vinci: Mona Lisa | Britannica
8. Excerpts of Leonardo’s biography from Vasari, Lives of the Most Famous Artists
This reading is a short excerpt from Giorgio Vasari’s biography of da Vinci. Keep in mind that Vasari was from Florence, and a huge booster of his home town. Vasari was strongly opinionated about the gifts and talents of the artists of Florence, believing some of them, Leonardo and Michelangelo included, were ‘supernatural’ talents.
Beginning of Vasari’s biography of Leonardo:
The greatest gifts are often seen, in the course of nature, rained
by celestial influences on human creatures; and sometimes, in
supernatural fashion, beauty, grace, and talent are united beyond
measure in one single person, in a manner that to whatever such an
one turns his attention, his every action is so divine, that,
surpassing all other men, it makes itself clearly known as a thing
bestowed by God (as it is), and not acquired by human art. This was
seen by all mankind in Leonardo da Vinci, in whom, besides a beauty
of body never sufficiently extolled, there was an infinite grace in
all his actions; and so great was his genius, and such its growth,
that to whatever difficulties he turned his mind, he solved them
with ease. In him was great bodily strength, joined to dexterity,
with a spirit and courage ever royal and magnanimous; and the fame
of his name so increased, that not only in his lifetime was he held
in esteem, but his reputation became even greater among posterity
after his death.
The Mona Lisa:
Leonardo undertook to execute, for Francesco del Giocondo, the
portrait of Monna Lisa, his wife; and after toiling over it for four
years, he left it unfinished; and the work is now in the collection
of King Francis of France, at Fontainebleau. In this head, whoever
wished to see how closely art could imitate nature, was able to
comprehend it with ease; for in it were counterfeited all the
minutenesses that with subtlety are able to be painted, seeing that
the eyes had that luster and watery sheen which are always seen in
life, and around them were all those rosy and pearly tints, as well
as the lashes, which cannot be represented without the greatest
subtlety. The eyebrows, through his having shown the manner in
which the hairs spring from the flesh, here more close and here more
scanty, and curve according to the pores of the skin, could not be
more natural. The nose, with its beautiful nostrils, rosy and
tender, appeared to be alive. The mouth, with its opening, and with
its ends united by the red of the lips to the flesh-tints of the
face, seemed, in truth, to be not colors but flesh. In the pit of
the throat, if one gazed upon it intently, could be seen the beating
of the pulse. And, indeed, it may be said that it was painted in
such a manner as to make every valiant craftsman, be he who he may,
tremble and lose heart. He made use, also, of this device: Monna
Lisa being very beautiful, he always employed, while he was painting
her portrait, persons to play or sing, and jesters, who might make
her remain merry, in order to take away that melancholy which
painters are often wont to give to the portraits that they paint.
And in this work of Leonardo’s there was a smile so pleasing, that
it was a thing more divine than human to behold; and it was held to
be something marvelous, since the reality was not more alive.
SOURCE: Giorgio Vasari, Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects
Vol. 04 (of 10), first published in Florence, 1550
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28420/28420.txt
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