Community Chat

[Oznell]

So much mysterious serenity.  Leonardo did a marvel with her presence, her glowing skin, her little half-smile into which so much can be read, the softness all around her...

I stumbled on a few of the many goofy Mona Lisa memes, and some are quite ugly and distorted-- I wouldn't repro them anywhere.  They had GIANT blow-up lips, dwarfing her head, etc. 

But this one was a more mild satire of how she'd be depicted today, maybe, with that pursed, selfie-expression--  look familiar?

A bit sad.

Then again, this one below moves into true cartoon-y territory and is truly funny, the Mona Lisa as bored suburbanite--

To me, the original Mona Lisa is so fascinating-- her features aren't "perfect",  but there's so much in her face. No wonder he found so much to reveal.

[Desertdi]

I think the ORIGINAL says, "I know something you don't".

[JYWilliams]

I saw the panting back in 1989 and I thought it was fascinating as well. They asked that you not take pictures but of course you know it was a knuckle head or two that pulled out cameras. And Security did approach them.

[haddon9]

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@JYWilliams wrote:
I saw the panting back in 1989 and I thought it was fascinating as well. They asked that you not take pictures but of course you know it was a knuckle head or two that pulled out cameras. And Security did approach them.

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@JYWilliams I saw it in 2014 and don't remember being told that we couldn't take a picture of it.  As a matter of fact, I remember it being very crowded with everyone having their phones out.....maybe that's why?  Cell phone cameras vs. and old fashioned film cameras with flashes.

[on the bay]

My mother took us to see the Mona LIsa when it came to the National Gallery of Art, thanks to Jackie O

I remember it even though very  young because you really could walk a yard or 2 to the right, then back to the left and her eyes followed you! That is why you may see pictures of people standing off to the side. 

I don't know how Leonardo da Vinci did it but he was a genius artist!

[JYWilliams]

@haddon9, it was the old cameras with he flash. They said something about the flash from the cameras damaging the paint on the picture.

[patbz]

I've seen Mona Lisa three times; the first from the moving sidewalk at Worlds Fair ( also saw La Pieta the same way at the same time).

[just bee]

@Oznell 

I've been collecting Mona -- and various versions of Mona -- for decades. 

[Sooner]

He would have to paint her with duck lips if he were working here and now.  I am so tired of ugly duck lips and smooch lips in so many photos.  

[Oznell]

Ha, ha, @just bee ,  a 'Mona Lisa' bee,  with sneakers yet!

That's some kind of crazy dissonance...

@Sooner ,  ditto, hope the trend will subside, at some point.  The Mona Lisa managed to get so far, with the opposite of exaggerated, grotesque features and grotesque everything--  perhaps demure understatement will one day stage a comeback....