The Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci

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If someone where to ask you to name a famous painting, what would you say? I would answer The Mona Lisa, possibly the most prominent painting there is today. For my research project, I will be analyzing, retelling, and exploring the Mona Lisa. I chose this piece of artwork because I love art and was just interested in why the Mona Lisa is such a well-known painting.
The Mona Lisa was created by Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. It was started in approximately c.1503 in the town of Florence, Italy. In 1503, according to the official website of the Louvre museum, an Italian silk merchant by the name of Francesco del Giocondo came to Da Vinci with a request for a portrait of his wife, Lisa Gherardini. The painting was oil paints on a poplar wood canvas. Today, it is displayed in The Louvre Museum in Paris, France at 77x53 centimeters. In Italy, the Mona Lisa is called La Gioconda. However, in France, it is referred to as La Joconde. It is known that the name Mona Lisa translates to my lady, Lisa- being the name of Franceso del Giocondo’s wife.
No one actually knows why the Mona Lisa was created but a theory was that it was created to commemorate Francesco and Lisa’s second son, Andrea. After Leonardo died, the painting was brought by the King of France. From there, it hung on the walls of the Palace of Fountainebleau for several generations. Over the years, the Mona Lisa had different homes, even on the bedroom walls of Napoleon.
Many historians ponder over one important question: Where is the second Mona Lisa? You might be confused so let me clarify. Leonardo is known to have another painting of the original one, meaning he creates two versions of one painting. To back this claim, two versions of one painting by Leo...

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...ble piece of artwork of possibly a remarkable woman. She resembles the artwork of the 16th century and what can be done with few materials than today. Although the Mona Lisa remains a historical mystery, just one look at it captivates you, and you can already picture the story behind it. So, when you visit France, come by the Louvre Museum. Will you be genuinely in awe or just pass by without a glance?

Works Cited

1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TckJwAV81k
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISowhGz5wnk
3) http://history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/a/monalisa_2.htm
4) http://monalisa.org/category/historical-evidence/
5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa
6) http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/mona_lisa/mlevel_1/mtimeline.html
7) http://lairweb.org.nz/leonardo/mona.html
8) http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/mona_nav/main_monafrm.html

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