1st Art Encounter Blog

I have enjoyed Art from the first time I was able to draw. The fascination of art brought me closer to understanding artist, and the meaning of their beautiful displays. I had always been fascinated by one particular artist Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519). He was an Italian ideal example of the 'Renaissance Man'. He is most famous for his paintings, but was very talented in science, sculpture, math, and literature, just to name a few.
The first painting I had ever seen of Leonardo's was The Mona Lisa, a wonderful oil painted profile of a women, with several layers of color demonstrating shadows, textures, and beauty. The painting is half length, meaning it only shows the upper half and hands of  a person, and is considered the most famous painting in the world. It is also called 'la Gioconda' which means "the laughing one." The women that posed for the picture was Lisa del Gioconda, a wife of a wealthy Florentine Silk merchant. Leonardo began this painting in 1503 and ended painting it in 1504, which he said was unfinished, a contentious pattern in most of his artwork. There is some questionable possibles that he had worked on this painting in France several years, but finished sometime before his death.


 
 The painting seems dual and boring as if Mona Lisa was bored, but the way Leonardo shaded her facial features demonstrates the illusion that she is smiling. She is considered an average size women placed in a chair at an angle facing the artist. With her hands crossed upon the chair she is sitting, she is properly placed to demonstrate the alignment of her body.  There are lines framing her silhouetted frame from the top of her head and hair, down her back and front area of layers of clothing. The outlines on her hands are perfectly proportioned with the lines and dimples as natural as can be on each hand that is painted.     The background demonstrates a softness of colors, arranged to outline a colorful mountainous  area behind Mona Lisa, bringing her features of lightened skin into view. The clothing she wears is dark and covers almost every stitch of her body, except the small cleavage displayed modestly. The dark colors are painted beautifully to suggest several layers are worn. She is not completely centered, but is brought forward by the way Leonardo balances the background in the distant with her facial features outlined in the humanistic art. Her face catches the lighting in the room and you can't help but look into her eyes, almost hauntingly, straight into your soul. Her dark hair frames the face of a child, not yet ready to become a women, there seems to be no makeup, only the shadows from the light cast any subdued coloring. The softness of her hands are present only because of the superficial lighting and shadows presented. The reappearance of shades and lighting across the figure in the picture, gives the painting a feeling of reality.

There are several stories about the painting and questioning about Mona Lisa's smile. In my opinion the smile is almost flirty, Lisa spent several months with Leonardo there could have been some sexual tension between them. I also came across this interesting piece.

"The truth behind the smile is, this style of smile was not invented by Leonardo da Vinci. It can be found in a number of sculptures from the fifteenth century, one of these being Antonio Rossellino's Virgin; it is somewhat reminiscent of Greek funerary statues and Gothic statues in medieval cathedrals. The mysterious smile can also be found very widely in the works of Leonardo's master, Verrocchio and Leonardo used the same smile in a number of his paintings."  http://www.lairweb.org.nz/leonardo/mona.html. 

The reason why the painting was done is a mystery, but the capturing of Leonardo's skill is not. This painting has brought about many questions, some of which seem ridicules. Several scientist have suggested that Leonardo had actually painted himself and turned the painting into a women. Others have said his assistant posed for the picture. It also seems as if there are small numbers and symbols stored in the eyes of Mona Lisa. The painting resides in Louvre Museum in Paris.
It has survived thief, vandalism while displayed, and 500 years of weathering.  In 1809 the painting went under it's first intense cleaning, involving re-varnishing, and water coloring of one of her eyes.  The painting is protected in a wall of bullet proof glass, as seen below.
                                                                       

 Leonardo da Vince used lighting, shading and different effects to illuminate the face of Mona Lisa, he had several other artistic creations like the "Last Supper", "Virgin and Child, with St. Anne", "Virgin of the Rocks", most of which were about religion in different forms. The Mona Lisa however; does not demonstrate any religious aspect, or does it? This historical creation by Leonardo da Vince, has been copied several times, and even made into cartoons, has changed hands across the centuries, framing has been removed and replaced, but still the Mona Lisa smiles. I have enjoyed learning more about Leonardo and his painting of Mona Lisa. As I have said before and in my own opinion, she is giving Leonardo a smile of lust. The smile becomes the focus when we think of Mona Lisa, Leonardo left us in suspense when he painted her.

First Concept

The Renaissance between the 14th and 17th Centuries was considered a time of Rebirth, a time of growth, prosperity and change. It was a time when Art was the main focus. A need for change that lasted throughout four centuries. In Modern day times, we also have had Rebirths, several it seems, lets take a look at Modern day changes and the changes centuries ago.

"David"

                                

The Renaissance was a time for everyone to look at everything around them with new eyes. The flourish for literature, Art, poetry, philosophy, and culture had arrived. The change took shape with statues such as "David" by Michelangelo, portraying freedom and strength. Printing began a whole new way to communicate, explore philosophy, and change science.  Studying and exploring, became the new pass time, this satisfied their thirst for new things. Art was a way to make money, to expand the mind and make it create  more beauty. Art became real, an image of our own bodies, explored by famous artist like   Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.  

Do we have anything that comes close to the Renaissance era? How about Woodstock during the 60's? The changes that took place was more about the Music, but the Music was about Art. The year was 1969, it began with a young man who had a dream to make money. He wanted to have a concert in a corn field in Bethel, New York. Big artist like Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young played for the 500,000 people that arrived looking for freedom. It was about change, Rebirth, and Peace. Does it compared to the Arts of the Renaissance, not really, but it was a time of Rebirth, freedom, and exploring.

http://woodstockny.org/content

 Lets try this again, when would we have a chance to make changes and explore new ideas like they had in the Renaissance era? It seems to me that we do it every day. We have scientist who discover  cures for the different diseases as they arise, come up with new medications, and create new machines to explore Mars. We are in a time of machines, discovery, and Rebirth. There are so many discovers still to be found, like uncovering disasters or treasures, explore dinosaur bones, and climb the tallest mountains. It seems as though we can go down in history like the Renaissance Era, and one day a Humanities class will be studying our era.