Is Mona Lisa the Greatest Painting in the World? Here Is What You Should Know
Introduction
Apart from being the most loved painting of all time, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa also has many firsts to her name.
For example, it is the most expensive or valued painting in the world, estimated to be worth close to $2.5 Billion USD in today’s times. It is also the most heavily guarded painting in the world, enclosed in bullet proof glass at the Louvre.
Many point out that even though a lot of has been written about the painting by historians, artists and academicians, the painting is not that great when one sees it in real life.
However, many also attest to the fact that there is a certain mystical quality about the painting, which has to be seen in real person to actually believe it. This work and other classic paintings from art history are big influences in the paintings created by Botto, a decentralized autonomous artist that generates art based on community feedback.
In this article, we try to answer a questions, which has enthralled audiences for the longest time ever - is the Mona Lisa the greatest painting of all time?
What do we know about the History of the Mona Lisa?
Italian renaissance painter, Leonardo da Vinci created his masterpiece over a fifteen year period and two countries. He started the work in Florence, Italy after being commissioned to d the same by a wealthy Italian Noble. The painting, many state has been made on his wife. Lisa Gherardini.
However, da Vinci moved from Italy to France and completed the painting somewhere in 1517. The painting also caught the fancy of the great Napolean who had a special place in his heart for the same. So special that he actually fell in love with Lisa Gherardini’s descendent, Teresa, because of her strong liking to the actual Mona Lisa.
The French Emperor, Francis I, under whose tutelage the painting was finally completed by da Vinci is also been credited for making the painting famous. The Mona Lisa now calls France’s Louvre Museum its home.
Some Important Factors which have contributed to Mona Lisa’s popularity
- The Louvre Museum -
Probably one of the most famous museums in the world, the Louvre has always enjoyed a position of pre-eminence in the world. Mona Lisa was shifted to the Louvre in 1815, and has ever since stayed there. It has also been come to be known as the world’s most heavily guarded painting, being placed in a bomb and bullet proof glass.
- Intermingling of Fact and Fiction -
There is no other painting in the world, which has been mired in as much controversy as the Mona Lisa has. From being revered by Napoleon to being the subject of suicides and hate, the Mona Lisa has seen it all. Three accidents on the painting have also contributed to its fame being spread in different parts of the world.
- The Valuation in terms of price -
While many paintings from famous artists have crossed the million and hundred million mark, the Mona Lisa is on a different level altogether. According to the last valuation done of the painting a couple of years back, the Mona Lisa is worth around $2.5 Billion Dollars! This makes it by far the most expensive piece of art existing in the present world.
- The Painter: Leonardo Da Vinci -
Touted as being the single greatest living artists, ever to have walked the face of the planet, Da Vinci was a man beyond his years. Da Vinci spent over thirteen years creating the Mona Lisa, and using some of his finest art techniques to create the painting. A technique known as ‘sfumato’, which includes subtle shading and soft brush strokes was done on the Mona Lisa.
The Final Word
According to Isleworth Mona Lisa, while there are many other paintings in the world and artists like Picasso, Warhol and others, none have or will ever command the stature of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. From being the world’s most visited painting to being the most expensive, Mona Lisa’s beauty continues to charm the world.