THE PORTRAIT OF MONA LISA-IS IT REALLY A PORTRAIT?

For as long as I can remember, this name and portrait has come to stay; not just staying but has given so many time to think about how it was created and why this beautiful, lovely fainting smile on her cheek makes the difference and gives it and its creator the hedge above other portrait and creators.

Come to think of the mystery behind this great portrait, how it has been able to survive this long, then you will know that though great things comes great responsibility so does great attention and protection be placed on it.

ABOUT THE PORTRAIT

A stop at Wikipedia, gives a clear picture about this great portrait. So let’s see what is really special about this portrait

Mona Lisa is also known as La Gioconda and it is a 16th century portrait that was painted in oil on a poplar panel by Leonardo da Vinci during the Italian Renaissance. This work is owned by the Government of France and is on the wall in the Louvre in Paris, France with the title “Portrait of Lisa gherardini”, wife of Francesco del Giocondo.

This painting is a half-length portrait and depicts a woman whose expression is often described as enigmatic. The ambiguity of the Mona Lisa's expression, the monumentality of the half-figure composition, and the subtle modeling of forms and atmospheric illusionism were novel qualities that have contributed to the painting's continuing fascination. Few other works of art have been subject to as much scrutiny, study, mythologizing and parody.

From above, this simple and single portrait has been described with so much respect and character. Can you be described in such a way? Both the painter and the portrait are two superb characters that understood and communicated with each other. For five hundred years, it has survived the test of time which to me makes the portrait "portrait of all portrait and painters".

Leonardo da Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa in 1503, during the Italian Renaissance and, according to Vasari, "after he had lingered over it four years, left it unfinished...." He is thought to have continued to work on it for three years after he moved to France and to have finished it shortly before he died in 1519. Leonardo took the painting from Italy to France in 1516 when King François I invited the painter to work at the Clos Lucé near the king's castle in Amboise. Most likely through the heirs of Leonardo's assistant Salai, the king bought the painting for 4,000 écus and kept it at Château Fontainebleau, where it remained until given to Louis XIV. Louis XIV moved the painting to the Palace of Versailles. After the French Revolution, it was moved to the Louvre. Napoleon I had it moved to his bedroom in the Tuileries Palace; later it was returned to the Louvre. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) it was moved from the Louvre to a hiding place elsewhere in France.

Mona Lisa was not well known until the mid-19th century when artists of the emerging Symbolist movement began to appreciate it, and associated it with their ideas about feminine mystique. Critic Walter Pater, in his 1867 essay on Leonardo, expressed this view by describing the figure in the painting as a kind of mythic embodiment of eternal femininity, who is "older than the rocks among which she sits" and who "has been dead many times and learned the secrets of the grave."

Is it really a portrait and what can you depict from this great work of Art? I will like to liken this portrait to my every day life. In life you have been given a DESTINY to paint and as a painter, you have to give it that superb interpretation for others to understand and admire. No matter how complex your destiny may seem, it is always good to finish your work so that others can see and appreciate your great work. Never stop the painting of your destiny on the way.

I always ask myself, what lesson can I learn from this great portrait of MONA LISA and what is so special about it. It took LEONARDO DA VINCI years to finish which shows how complex it was for him- this tells me that life is complex and needs great hard work and time to SOLVE ITS PUZZLE. The closer you look the less you understand, so it will be better if you take a pause and allow the ideas to flow since you are definitely the painter of your destiny. It was given to you by GOD to paint, so you have to make your destiny what you want it to be.

To achieve what you want in your painting, you have to go back to the very beginning, the foundation, get the right ideas and concept about what you want your destiny to be and focus on it. Being focus is very important and do not give up your picture of that great portrait no matter how long it takes to achieve it. DA VINCI showed this quality when he started from the very beginning- using various techniques to bring the image to life is really awesome. The very idea that made the difference, it took longer to achieve his target but that does not matter since the result is always the most important thing.

Your effort towards creating a beautiful portrait of your destiny may not be visible and appreciated at that point in time but do not give up, put in your best for there comes a time when the light of greatness can not be outshine. It will definitely be appreciated, so do your best to make your life a historical life like the portrait of MONA LISA.

Love your self, believe that you can make a difference, no matter how small this difference is and trust in your ideas, concepts and above all, know that the creator has given you a responsibility to live up to. Good painting means good life and great efforts gives birth to great achievements. Look deep into the inside of your heart and visualize your destiny and life. Do not be a curse to your generation but a blessing to it just as the portrait of MONA LISA is to Art.

Beloved even as you fight to make the best out of your painting,try to stay away from heartbreak and believe me BLUTTS can help you prevent it if only you are willing to sacrifice just to be happy. Give it a try today and it will go a long way in make you a better person.