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Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Mona Lisa Smile

The Lady's back. With a bang. And she's real. A historian has apparently found out the muse behind the famous painting. She was Leonardo's father's client's wife (whew!). Call me Art Blind but I never could see what was so impressive about the lady. And I don't find anything enchanting or alluring about that smile(?!) or whatever expression it is that she's wearing. Over the years, people seem to have been tearing out their hair about her expression. There was a theory that she is really not smiling but gives that appearance because she is toothless!! And some art afficionados found small sutures around her mouth that were indicative of some teeth problem. God knows why that painting acquired the kind of fame it has. Just goes to show that the most famous things in the world are not necessarily the best.
Perhaps, the only thing I like about the painting is a certain gentleness of expression. Not her smile. Not her "beauty". But a calm, gentle amusement that seeps through her eyes and tells the viewer, "Oh! Never mind all this fuss about me. Just move on."

3 comments:

FSN 3.0 said...

Maybe you should put
The DaVinci Code - by Dan Brown on your list of to read books as well.

Then you'd think twice and wonder what she's really smiling about :-)))

Or you could try to figure out just what DaVinci was hinting at - when he actually painted The Mona Lisa.

She is apparently 'half-smiling' because she hides behind her facade, a secret that goes WAY back in time - a secret which could have altered the very course of history as we know it -

Just go read the book :-)

The Doodler said...

Already read that book....:) A rather intriguing and interesting interpretation of her smile is offered by Dan Brown. But seriously, do you even think she is smiling?? Or do you even find it alluring or whatever??? I can't for the life of me find anything like that...would be good to get another's opinion!

FSN 3.0 said...

Honestly - NOPE. Personally I think the mona lisa, by herself is a hideous old bat.He could have used somebody more attractive. To me, she appears just on the verge of a big smile - but not quite there yet.
In other words, the sort of smile you'd give yourself when you're sitting there thinking about an old joke - your smile widens as your thoughts run deeper...

Frankly - he should have painted the Mona Lisa as a buxom 21 year old italian goddess, with pearly white teeth, silken hair, fair skin and radiant eyes.

I guess that's why Im no Da Vinci....