Da Vinci’s Genius –and That Face

By Gina Baxter

What is it about a face that draws ones attention?

Is it Icelandic cheekbones?

A Jimmy Durante nose? Bette Davis eyes?

What is it about a certain face that has kept millions looking in her direction for centuries?

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Leonardo da Vinci was an artist, inventor and scientist.

As well as a man often maddened by his own genius.

Among his works is the most recognizable face in the world…

…a wizardry known as the Mona Lisa

She lives at the Louvre Museum,behind high security and bullet-proof glass in her own climate controlled room.

She was painted during the Renaissance era in 1507. During this time, portraits were considered status symbols for the upper class.

She is sitting in a marble chair on a concrete balcony.

During this period, painting anatomically correct features was still be perfected. Many artist painted their subjects in profile view and used a flat paint.

Da Vinci not only used oil to paint Mona Lisa, but she is facing her viewer. Her hands are clearly portrayed, and the delicate embroideryof her clothing can be seen in extreme detail.

Although the mystery behind her smile is legendary, for many the background da Vinci painted is where her mystery truly begins.

Behind the model is a surreal looking world. Some have compared it to another planet with its skillfully placed mountains, rocks, water and road.

Da Vinci was also a master of a technique known as sfumato, an Italian word that means vanished as if up in smoke.

His perfection of this technique makes brush strokes on Mona Lisa invisible to the naked eye.

First art historians were so struck by the realism they pointed out her lips that smiled and her eyes that shined.

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Her lack of brushstrokes still intrigues researchers to this day. In 2004, art researcher Bruno Mottin was among a group allowed to study the painting using infrared lasers and 3-D scanners. The images were so detailed they had to be viewed on special monitors.

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The computer-generated map proved the effect had been created by using extremely thin layers of paint.

However, most scholars assumed da Vinci executed the light portions first then built up to dark. When in fact the images showed the dark areas around her mouth and eyes have the thickest layers of paint, while other dark areas are comparatively thin.

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In other words, they’re still unsure how he did it.

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For millions, she’s a fascination.

For some, she’s an outright obsession.

Da Vinci was so protective of her; she was a painting he wouldn’t sell, and kept her with him until his death.

When Napoleon did his conquer-ing, she was one of the objects he took.

He hung her in his bedroom.

In 1911 an Italian handyman working at theLouvre stole her in order to take her backto her homeland.

Once caught, it’s rumored the handymanconfessed to being in love with her.

Sixty detectives were assigned to find her, and her disappearance made headlinesaround the world.

Then, there’s the mystery of the unknown model.

Some believe its da Vinci’s self portrait, and how he saw himself in feminine form.

However, the most popular belief is thatthe face of Mona Lisa belonged to a womannamed Lisa Gherardini. The wife of a wealthy silk merchant.

One archeologist, Silvano Vinceti, is so obsessed with finding her identity,in 2011 he began an archeological dig under an abandoned Florentine convent, where it’s believed Lisa Gherardini is buried.

He’s certain a facial reconstruction will prove she is the face of Mona Lisa.

As of this writing, he’s excavated at least four female skeletons and has yet to find her.

Approximately 9 million people a year walk through the Louvre to look at her, and themuseum receives thousands of love lettersand poems written to her.

Her dull color is due to centuries of aged varnish that no one dares to clean because she cannot be insured.

She is literally priceless.

Bibliography• Austen, I. (2006). New Look at Mona Lisa Yields Some

New Secrets.• The New York Times- web publication,• http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/27/arts/design/27mona.html?ref=leonardodavinci&_r=o

• Vasari, G. (n.d.). Lives of the Painters.