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Why is the Mona Lisa So
Famous?
Da Vinci, Mona Lisa
or La Gioconda,
1503-1505
The City of Rome, Italy
The City of Florence,
Italy
Prior to the
Renaissance
Giotto, Madonna in Glory, 1311 →
What is the Renaissance?
• The term Renaissance comes from the
French word meaning “rebirth”
• The Renaissance patrons (the church and
wealthy) wanted art that showed joy in
human beauty. Renaissance art is more life
like than in the art of the Middle Ages.
Renaissance artists studied perspective, or
the differences in the way things look when
they are close to something or far away. The
artists painted in a way that showed these
differences. As a result, their paintings seem
to have depth.
As a result of the theft of the Mona Lisa in 1911 she now is
shown behind glass in an air conditioned box. This also
prevents it from not decaying.
When and who stole the Mona Lisa? Why and
how was it Stolen?
The Mona Lisa was stolen in August of 1911 by a carpenter
named Vincenzo Peruggia. Peruggia stole the
painting by hiding in a cabinet in one of the exhibition
spaces at the louvre. He was fixing the cabinet and
waited to steal the painting until it was closed. Once
he had the painting he was going to sell it to the Uffizi
gallery in Florence and said he was returning it to it’s
rightful place, Italy. In later years it was believed that
he was actually going to work with another person and
have someone create replicas and sell them.
It was only after she was stolen
that she gained the celebrity that
he has today. However she was
valued as a spectacular piece of
artwork because of the unique
elements the painting has for the
period it was created.
Historically, Why is the painting
important?
• The Mona Lisa was important because it
was one of the first portraits to have the
person in a relaxed natural pose, with the
hand casually overlapping and casual
facial expression.
Historically, Why is the painting
important?
• The background in the La Gioconda is a
fantasy landscape that could not exist.
Where as most paintings of the time were
realistic or nothing at all. Perhaps just a
black background.
Dada Artist Marcel Duchamp in 1919 took a
postcard of the Mona Lisa and wrote in
L.H.O.O.Q. and gave her a mustashe and goatee.
The reason he did this was because the
movement he belonged to wanted to destroy
traditional values in art and wanted a new type of
art to replace the old one.
DADA
This movement believed in making art for art sake.
The title DADA is a nonsense word to express the
idea that art was becoming elitist and only
certain people could understand it. They wanted
to make art that was just about the object but not
with any hidden meaning.
They were being critical and conscious of
themselves as artist.
Another one of Duchamp’s is Bicycle Wheel 1951
Duchamp
• When he modified objects, for example by
mounting a bicycle wheel on a kitchen
stool, he called them "Assisted
Readymades.“
Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?
• The painting is unique for it’s time and
because of the robbery of 1911 and
gaining celebrity status the painting
became well known by many people. The
fact that it is displayed behind glass makes
it seem special. And creates a separation
between the viewer and the piece of art.
Also with Artist such as Duchamp altering
her image it became fair game for
advertisers to use.