By Leonardo da Vinci. 1503 is the date he started to paint her, during the Italian Renaissance. Who is Mona Lisa? Her identity has always confused the experts; the art historians all have their little theories. I, however, do not care who she is. Does it really matter anyway? She is so famous, and famous for sitting still. Brilliant.
Let’s be honest here: if it wasn’t for the marketing of this painting in the nineteenth century, Lisa wouldn’t be as famous as she is now. My description of the painting would be this-
Lisa looks as though she has just returned from burying her master, been issued with an eviction notice from her little hut and is unable to afford a pizza. She has been slapped around the face several times by Leonardo for her inability to sit still and maintain the same semi-smile for more than two minutes at a time.
Gok Wan is busy with some other dreary housewife, giving her some inspirational tips on how not dress like a beggar. Lisa has no time to prepare some contrasting fabrics.
A beauty? Erm, not exactly, unless one likes the no eyebrow, no eyelashes look. Over-plucked or erased during the course of painting her, nobody knows. Lisa has no teeth and is slightly crossed-eyed. Leonardo has hardly any oil paints left, so he hastily mixes them all together to make black. He can’t be bothered with the background, so he does a quick job and tries to pass it off as some form of landscape.
Fast forward 500 years, put her in a bullet proof box, let the world adore her. I doubt it’s even the original on show.
The realistic fleshy-toned lips are incredible. Leonardo's contempories were amazed at this painting in the 1500s........The world is still amazed with her. The world loves her.
