Mona Lisa or La Giaconda (Italian) or La Jaconde (French) is a 16th century portrait painted in oil by the famous Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa is a half length portrait of a woman, whose enticing gaze meets the viewers.

The faint smile of Mona Lisa mirrors the painter's idea of cosmic link, bridging humanity and nature. Mona Lisa showcases the virtuosity of Leonardo da Vinci which make the viewers to gaze at it for hours together oblivious of the surroundings. I am not an exception to this as Mona Lisa made me stand near her and I was exploring the belle charmante which has survived for more than 500years.

It had taken more than ten years to paint Mona Lisa and Da Vinci took the painting from Italy to France in 1516. Leonardo's magnum opus was bought by the French king Francois for 4000 francs at that period and kept it at Fontainebleau, which is a commune in the metropolitan Paris. It remained there till it was handed over to Louis 14th. Louis then shifted it to Palais de Versailles and later on to Louvre. Mona Lisa is believed to have decorated the bedroom of Napoleon the 1st in Tuileries.

Now here is a trivia. Do you what Mona signifies. Mona is a polite form of address similar to Madam or My lady in English. The painting was among the first to depict the sitter before an imaginary landscape. The back drop consists of icy mountains kissing the landscape.

(To be continued)

UshaRaja
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