Task 1 : Research an Artwork - Mona Lisa by Leonardo Divinci

Task 1

We have been introduced to the library resources and how to do research. After this presentation you will research the artwork you chose from the Powerpoint presentation last week and write three paragraphs about the work to hand in today. Try to write more than just the details of when and where the work was made, perhaps you can find some controversy or curious fact that excites you to write about! 


 Research Assignment - Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous artworks in the world. It was believed to be painted by the great artist of that time Leonardo Davinci between 1503-1506* ref. Elsgood;  The model posing for the shot is Lisa Gheradini. Davinci was commissioned by her husband, Francesco Del Giocondo, to paint her portrait. Mona Lisa in Italian translates as My Lady Lisa.


Controversy surrounded the identity of the model. People believed the model to be a few different people including Davinci's lover, Gheradini or Davinci himself dressed up as a lady. These myths were dis-proven recently by researches at the Heidelberg University when a manuscript expert, Dr Armin Schlechter, confirmed the authenticity of a note made by a Florentine City Official, Agostino Vespucci, dated in early 1500's, confirming Davinci had been commissioned to paint Lisa Gheradini. *Elsgood, "German Experts Crack Mona Lisa's Smile", Reuters, Internet, 14 Jan 2008.


According to a reputable expert, Jacques Franck, the paintings eyes move because of the infinite detail that was put into the painting over two decades. Apparently the "cross hatching tecnique", could have been the reason, where Davinci would have been painted with brush in one hand micro-fying glass in the other! The Mona Lisa was stolen in 1910, adding to it's popularity. It's now one of the most recognisab,e peices of art the world has ever seen. *ref to www.independant.co.uk, article "Unmasking the Mona Lisa", 11 April 2006.


I like the lighting on the artwork. The backlit background, the hands, the chest and the attention to detail is outstanding. The colours from dark to light in the different layers. The artwork could be mistaken for a photograph, you can see why it took him two decades* to complete the work.