The portrait depicts the buxom upper body of a young woman who is seated in a chair with a distant landscape that is visible in the backdrop. Installed in the painting using what is called the “Pyramid Design”, the woman is portrayed at eye level with a small distance between her and the point of view of the artist, as if you were seated near her but forced to keep at bay. This gives the viewer a feeling of allurement coming from the woman and causes your eyes to be drawn closer to hers. It is interesting to note that the woman has no facial hair of any kind including eyebrows or eyelashes, although recent scientific discovery proves that facial hair was once present but has faded over time. Her skin tone is constant soft beige and appears to be slightly shimmering under diffused light in the entire painting. She wears a small translucent black veil over the crown of her head that covers a tiny piece of her forehead and gives the appearance of modesty. Her eyes, which are indicative of a life happily lived, are almond shaped and a warm hue of hazelnut which perfectly matches the hue of her hair. Her hair, partially hidden underneath the veil, flows freely past her shoulders but stops at her bust line. She possesses a heart shaped face, plump cheeks; full peach colored lips that are turned up slightly at one corner giving the appearance of a smirk or grin, and a nose that is proportionate to her face. Overall, you could describe the woman as having a pleasant appearance. She is dressed in attire that would have been considered non aristocratic and common for her time period. The sienna colored dress, with long ruffled golden sleeves, covers the majority of her cleavage and arms, while a light brown scarf draped loosely over her shoulders make up the rest of her outfit. The woman has no jewelry or physical adornments of any kind, furthering the appearance of feminine modesty. She is shown with both hands visible; her right hand folded over her left wrist, her left arm on the chair’s rest and she seems to be subtly leaning towards the painter. Although the very top portion of the chairs’ arm rest is visible, right below this is where the painting ends.
The woman is shown seated in an open area in front of a painted backdrop with an aerial perspective, which gives the illusion that the nature scene in the backdrop is far away. Da Vinci was one of the first artists to use this method in a portrait rather than depicting a nature scene immediately behind the subject which was commonly used for renaissance style artists. The backdrop shows what appears to be a patio or awning, with large pillars made of stone or ceramic materials, overlooking a vast nature scene. This scene includes winding dirt colored pathways; some that lead you beyond the perimeters of the painting and some to a large body of water, whose depths are made apparent with the usage of light and dark colored blues. Visible in the far distance is a pre-industrial style bridge built over a canyon, plush green colored forest hillsides and white snow covered peaks on a gray mountain range. The usage of contrasting darks and lights to accentuate the curves of the woman’s neck line and collar bone is also apparent in the backdrop used to assist the viewer in understanding the distance between the woman and the scene of nature. The calming tranquility of the backdrop coupled with the calm demure elegance of the woman portrayed, gives the viewer a feeling of oneness between mankind and nature.
“Mona Lisa’s” overall appearance is one of a modest woman with no fantastic monetary wealth, but with a wealth of knowledge hidden behind a playful smirk and an oneness or knowing of herself and her surroundings’. The painting is arguably the most famous work of art ever done, partly because of the precision portrayed by Da Vinci when creating atmospheric illusionism, but mostly because of the mystery behind the woman’s grin and eyes. Looking into her eyes is almost as if looking through a window into the meaning of idealistic femininity and perhaps, if only for a moment, you will receive a return glance as well. The masterpiece is an amazing one that deserves all of the notoriety that it has received for many generations and hopefully it will continue to inspire others for many generations to come.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
He is perhaps challenging the viewer to see more that physical beauty but rather an internal need to be desired regardless of our outer shell or weathered state. He used detail and traditional symbolism of beauty in the clothing, headdress, the red rose, the seductive corset, and the lifted chin and soft eyes. Perhaps the timeless review and contemplation of intent was in fact Massys true intent of this piece, as it has withstood the test of time as a historically famous work of art. The initial dislike for the woman drew me in. The complexity of the painting made be find aesthetic beauty, and the content itself keeps me perplexing on the possibilities of intent. It is truly a respectable and intriguing display of art and…
- 627 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The reason I found this painting so intriguing, is since the content is so mysterious, I found it fun to be able to put my own interpretation on it. However it is said, that the little boy who looks as though he is getting ready to throw a handful of rose petals at the couple, is known as, Jest or, Folly and represents pleasure or joy. The figure behind him is much more complex and surprising. At first glance all I saw was the face of what seemed to be an innocent little girl, but if you look closely you’ll see her body is scaly like a reptile or a long snake tail. They say that since this figure seems to deceive us that she represents deception and has been identified by some scholors…
- 733 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Van Honthorst’s use of lines within this work of art, makes the girl seem to fade into the dark background of the image. The texture in this painting is characteristic of seventeenth century northern European art. The texture within this work of art is realistic as though what is in the painting could be touched and feel like silk on the sleeves of the dress and the feathers look like they feel soft and fluffy. There is a great range of value within this piece, the background of the painting is very dark while the girl in the painting has very pale skin making her stand out from the dark background. This image is asymmetrical, the way that the girl is seated and holding the oval portrait make the painting unbalanced, the image would be symmetrical if the girl was facing forward rather than a three-fourths view of her. The emphasis in this painting is her face and her smile, her pale face against the dark background really stand out, her rosy cheeks and big smile make it easy to spot across the room. This painting is realistic, she is proportionate and she looks like any other girl that one might see. Over all, this painting is pleasing to the eye and had a wonderful texture, and…
- 1404 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
The painting still receives much attention and is the base of discussion for many art lovers and historians (Mohan and Centeno, 2005). However, the very details that made the portrait so shocking nearly a century and a half ago are what now delight critics and casual viewers alike; the piece is truly remarkable in its contrasting hues and dramatic details. The lines are crisp and clean, the lighting is flattering yet dramatic, and the composition is pleasing to the eye. While these fundamental artistic components make a great contribution to the attractiveness of this painting, the subject herself deserves to be recognized as the most beautiful thing about the portrait. Gautreau’s physical beauty is often debated even today, mostly because her roman nose is considered too prominent to be classified as classically beautiful. The difference in opinion regarding Gautreau’s physical features is where most modern controversies end. It is the painting’s daring representation of Gautreau, rather, which is inarguably beautiful. The unorthodox pose, the revealing clothing, and the haughty expression were all revolutionary for the time they were presented. Sargent and Gautreau’s goal was not to challenge the societal norms of the time; in fact, their goal was the exact opposite. Inadvertently, however, the appreciation of Amelie Gautreau’s portrait one hundred and fifty years later is now a wonderful reminder of the power in breaking rules and refusing to fit into the definition of…
- 1080 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Her face is perfect and unaged, maybe in her 20s no later than her early 30s. Even though the sculpture has aged, her face remains young. Her abdomen is flat, not a single roll lies upon her. Her arms and calf have a slight bulge, as if she has been working out. Her body is motionless, but there’s a since of flesh feeling and realism to her. Cash puts an emphasis on her naked body as if she was an exotic dancer, not one that was in a ballet. She stands in a position of gratitude, like he wanted her body to be shown. The way her chin is slightly up and chest facing forward symbolizes dominance in which she feels safe and secure. Also her face shows a sign of contempt as if she is at peace with the world around her and is not afraid to show off her body. Her body is pushed forward, as to a sign of…
- 561 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
On first look at the painting, we give our attention to the isolated woman in the middle of the work. The woman is the largest feature of the painting and is the focal point of all other elements found in the painting. The woman is portrayed as someone of great importance. The woman is clothed in a flowing white…
- 566 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The bright and vivid background color and the woman’s gesture drew me to this particular piece of art. The brighter color gives people a sense of happiness and that’s why I like it. His painting style is different from the original impressionism, so I want to know the…
- 895 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Although she is seating sideways, valleys are still noticeable and they create the illusion of her small nose and hardly visible eyebrows. One may notice that there are various values of black in this painting which is specific for this technique. Another factor for etching is blurred and soft image. The fireplace, in this case, does not have a sharp structure of lines. Also, the lines of the sofa are fuzzy and rough.…
- 278 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
This masterpiece was created by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres in 1814 and is perfect example of Neoclassicism which was the revolt of the Rococo style of art. The artwork is placed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. This painting captures the image of an odalisque, which we refer to as a concubine. The painting depicts beautiful hues of blue, and a dark background and shadows which creates a seductive scenery while enhancing the curves and shapes of the model. With the contrast of light and dark colors, Ingres was able to achieve the illusion of depth. Ingres favored long sinuous lines which is show through the way he painted her elongated back. The volumes of the nude, bathed in an even light, are toned down in a space without depth (Louvre). I also like the details of his work, from the detailed headpiece, jewelry, feather duster and even the designs strategically placed on the curtains. Ingres was highly criticized for his art work and his paintings were unpopular due to others not understanding his…
- 1010 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
This is an oil on canvas painting by Frida Kahlo called Cropped Hair, made in 1940 at a size of 40x279cm. It is a self- portrait of her with a scissor in one hand and her hair creeping everywhere on the floor. As you can see in the painting, the fore ground busy because of the long dark hair that is laid all over the floor. In the middle ground of the portrait, it shows Frida Kahlo sitting in a chair, wearing an oversized suit, that by the looks of it isn’t hers while holding a serious, upset or pain face. As if she was thinking of the pain that someone had caused her, expressing it thought her painting. The way she is position in the painting is out of proportion, from her neck and below it is different from her neck and upwards, making her looks stiff and uncomfortable. The chair also stands out more than the rest of the portrait along with the hands, face and neck; she had used a bright warm yellow to out-stand the other dark and light, warm and cool colours. The toning of the middle ground is also very clear, showing all the shadows that are in the suits and her face. The background of the portrait is different from the rest. She had painted it plain, as well as making it look like they are clouds, bring all the attention to the foreground. The top of the background shows some text and music notes.…
- 809 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In what we 're now referring to as "Cap A", we have discovered two very well known pieces of Art. One, now referred to as the world’s most famous smile, is the Mona Lisa. Leonardo Da Vinci created this masterpiece in 1503 using a style known as sfumato and perspective. Sfumato is a way of painting where contours are blurry and, it gives a special liveliness to the portrait and the foggy feeling in the landscape. Renaissance was trying to present, not the reality, but the mixture of reality and idealized beauty. We will mount this painting in the Lovre in Paris with the title. "Portrait of Mona Lisa Gherardine, wife of Francesco del Giocondo.…
- 1160 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
The result is illustrated in Seated Female Nude with Raised Right Arm (1910, 45x32cm), a carefully finished piece submitted to Josef Hoffmann at the Wiener Werkstätte. Carefully outlined in black crayon on tinted paper, watercolor has been used to decorate the figure in a muted warm palette of orange, yellow green and ochre; the tiny wedge of cerulean blue above the head adds a complementary color accent. The line shows a tendency to peak at points of tension (the outline of the hip, the top edge of the left shoulder and forearm), a trick that makes the contour static but not heavy. The effect is decorative, to suit the postcards and knicknacks turned out by the workshop, but the figure also seems tense or vigilant, as if waiting for mother to burst through the door. For the red hair, dark straight eyebrows and slim figure confirm that this is Schiele's favorite model from these years: his younger sister Gertrude (Gerti), whom Schiele drew obsessively from childhood up until she broke off nude modeling at age 16.…
- 1268 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
The artwork is called Reclining Nude by Jean-Antoine Watteau and I found this artwork in the Norton Simon Museum. I was captivated by the sensuality and the delicacy in the painting. I first noticed in the painting was her robust ivory figure contrasting with the dark chocolate background because I felt that these contrasting colors evoked a sense of purity and light against the mysterious darkness. She seems to have turned around and noticed something. Perhaps someone just entered the room and surprised her or she could have been waiting for her lover. I also noticed that in this painting, that there are only three objects: the bed, the girl, and the dark background. This painting seemed so simple to me and yet I felt there was so much more to it. What was it about her that was so special? Why was she painted? These thoughts whirled in my head as I looked at this masterpiece. I studied this painting’s importance by researching the important formal elements that composed this artwork such as color and light, the historical context in which the artwork was made, and Watteau’s intent for this artwork. These factors have contributed in the Reclining Nude’s significance not only for me, but in art history.…
- 1215 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Deep within the safety of The Louvre many of the world’s most recognizable and influential pieces of art are safely kept for the eyes of the art loving public. One of the most mysterious paintings in the museum is a portrait of a beautiful renaissance era woman sitting in front of a landscape of hills and flowing water. She stands at almost three feet tall by two feet wide and her smile is recognized around the globe. The mystery behind her meaning, who she is, and the hidden messages that the portrait is said to contain have captivated people for centuries. She is called the Mona Lisa she is said to be one of the best known, most visited, and most written about works…
- 825 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Art is a term that describes a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities, but here refers to the visual arts, which cover the creation of images or objects in fields including painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and other visual media.…
- 382 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays