Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci.
He began his paining in 1503 and finished it in 1507. The painting represents the Renaissance ideals of
individualism and realism. The painting Mona Lisa is a portrait of Lisa del
Gioconda, an Italian noblewoman of the Gherardini family of Florence and
Tuscany.
In this painting, you can see the portrait of a
young woman. She has fair skin, dark curly hair, a long nose and is wearing a
dress. She is sitting down with her arms rested on one another as she smiles
towards the viewer. The background of this painting is mountains and a
body/bodies of water.
Leonardo da Vinci used oil paint to make this painting. While the colors now
may seem dull and yellow, it is assumed that back when it was first painted the
colors were realistic like those of a modern day photograph’s (therefore the
skin had the tone of fair skin, the water and sky were different shades of
blue, etc.)
The technique used to make this painting is known as “sfumato.” When translated
into English, sfumato means things such as shade, vanish, disappear and fade
away. This technique blends colors to create “shadows” and transitions from
light to dark/shady. Using this method, Leonardo was able to make the Mona Lisa
look 3D.
