Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa is a very famous painting depicting a sitting woman in a dress with her hands crossed. It appears she is in a mountain setting with a lake or river behind her. Who the Mona Lisa actually is is among debate, but many believe her to be Lisa del Giocondo, wife of a Florentine businessman named Francesco del Giocondo.
A question that many may ask when looking at the Mona Lisa is, "Why did this painting become so famous?"
The Mona Lisa actually became famous because of three Italian men who decided to steal the artwork on August 21, 1911. The three soon-to-be criminals hid in an art-supply closet located in the Louvre (the famous museum in Paris, France where the Mona Lisa was on display) and snuck out in the morning to steal the painting before the Louvre opened.
The painting was noticed missing 28 hours later by an artist who was going to paint a picture of the gallery that the Mona Lisa happened to be located in. No one had even noticed the painting being gone because of it not having the same fame as it does now.
Once the Louvre had announced the painting had been stolen, great shame was brought to the people of Paris. All over the world, newspapers were talking about the "missing piece of artwork in Paris". During all of the commotion, the three Italian men had made their escape. They consisted of two brothers, Vincenzo and Michele Lancelotti, and the leader of the group, Vincenzo Perugia. Perugia was a handyman that the Louvre had hired to put up the same protective glass that he just removed from the Mona Lisa. Perugia's original plan was to sell the painting, but he now feared arrest because of the uproar his theft had caused. More than two years passed before Perugia decided to attempt to sell the painting, and when he did, he was apprehended by police. He served just eight months in jail, and World War I began, causing everyone to forget about the now small-looking story of three men stealing a piece of artwork from the Louvre.
A question that many may ask when looking at the Mona Lisa is, "Why did this painting become so famous?"
The Mona Lisa actually became famous because of three Italian men who decided to steal the artwork on August 21, 1911. The three soon-to-be criminals hid in an art-supply closet located in the Louvre (the famous museum in Paris, France where the Mona Lisa was on display) and snuck out in the morning to steal the painting before the Louvre opened.
The painting was noticed missing 28 hours later by an artist who was going to paint a picture of the gallery that the Mona Lisa happened to be located in. No one had even noticed the painting being gone because of it not having the same fame as it does now.
Once the Louvre had announced the painting had been stolen, great shame was brought to the people of Paris. All over the world, newspapers were talking about the "missing piece of artwork in Paris". During all of the commotion, the three Italian men had made their escape. They consisted of two brothers, Vincenzo and Michele Lancelotti, and the leader of the group, Vincenzo Perugia. Perugia was a handyman that the Louvre had hired to put up the same protective glass that he just removed from the Mona Lisa. Perugia's original plan was to sell the painting, but he now feared arrest because of the uproar his theft had caused. More than two years passed before Perugia decided to attempt to sell the painting, and when he did, he was apprehended by police. He served just eight months in jail, and World War I began, causing everyone to forget about the now small-looking story of three men stealing a piece of artwork from the Louvre.
Leonardo da Vinci
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Born on April 15, 1452, Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian polymath. His many talents included skills in painting, sculpting, science, mathematics, architecture, music, engineering, writing, and many others. He is widely regarded as one of the most vastly talented men to have ever lived and died at the age of 67 on May 2, 1519.
Why I Chose this Piece of Work
The Mona Lisa is a famous painting because three men wanted to make some extra money, and chose to do it by illegal means. The painting continues to be famous despite many people not even knowing the story behind it, and that is why I chose this particular piece of work. My first thought was, "Everyone is going to do their project on the Mona Lisa,' but I decided to look into it anyway and found what I thought to be a very interesting backstory on the painting's fame.
Modern Art Comparsion
Name: "Girl asleep at a table"
Artist: Pablo Picasso
Date: 1936
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I chose this artwork because I thought the colors had a very similar tone to the Mona Lisa's. The girl in the painting also seems to be dressed in a similar form to Mona.
Artist: Pablo Picasso
Date: 1936
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I chose this artwork because I thought the colors had a very similar tone to the Mona Lisa's. The girl in the painting also seems to be dressed in a similar form to Mona.