Thread: Mona Lisa...

*sigh*
The self portrait theory. Even if possibly true means nothing.

As an artist I can tell you that self portraits are not only common in the artistic world they are also necessary. It's a measuring stick to see how much you have improved as an artist. A serious artist does a self portrait at least once a year. Then there's the fact that you don't have to pay yourself to sit. Since Da Vinci continued to work on the portrait for years after the original model was no longer around it is possible he used himself as a model for any changes. No big deal, no mystery. Sorry.

So there was a model involved? And it is a portrait?

It's real name is La Gioconda.

She was a young Florintine woman, Monna Lisa, who married Francesco del Giocondo in 1495.

Leonardo loved the picture so much he took it with him everywhere. Yes, standards of beauty were different back then.

Ahhh. This is interesting. I never knew it was a portrait. Just thought it was a painting. But I still dont understand.

This portrait is of only a woman. Yet...It's a masterpiece. I've only gotten theories.

Originally Posted by Kasai

Perhaps he just used his own facial features to create the ugly woman?

LoL!..Consider something so ugly that its beautiful?! What an ironically twisted world we have today...something sooo ugly....yet soo famous, prized, and supposedly beautiful..im not saying the chick is cute...but rather say that she kinda odd and based off the artist face? Ugh...thats horrifying...picture the chicks head half bald and u have a man!

If it would help notice that she doesn't have any eyebrows. (There are alot of theories on that too.) If you add eyebrows to the picture you end up with a very charming woman.

It's a masterpeice because it is one. I'm not trying to be facetious, it is. As FFgirl mentions the techniques, how it is painted, the background. If I could paint like that I would be a millionaire.

There is a reason Da Vinci was considered a master in his own time and it wasn't just that he had powerful friends.

There we go. More like it. Thank you Arrianna.