Despite several theories which surround the painting created by Leonardo da Vinci it is believed that the Mona Lisa was painted to show the younger generation about his skills. Leonardo was a perfectionist in his work and this was shown through the painting of Mona Lisa, which he always kept by him. Additionally, the artist wanted to prove that he was not an old man but there was something he could do which perfectly fit the 16th century. The painting is believed again to be the perfect dream woman, whom Leonardo wanted and that is why the painting has a unique smile of love and understanding that he longed, hoped and yearn for.
Artwork Form
The painting represents a woman in a half-body portrait and there is a backdrop a distance landscape. The painting represents a standard composition with little sense of da Vinci’s achievement. Additionally, it is evident that the luxurious curves of the sitter’s hair and clothing developed through fine shading are echoed in the shapes of rivers and valleys behind her. The painting shows a link associating humanity and nature.
The Significance of Artwork Medium
The medium employed in this case by Leonardo was oil paint and a popular wood panel. Leonardo used the medium to showcase his skills and ability in painting. He managed to paint Mona Lisa and it is considered as one of the best painting ever done.
Personal Feeling about the Work
There is much dedication that Leonardo put when doing the painting and this made it have extraordinary features. The painting is quite perfect and this has made it be the world’s most famous painting. This piece of art has a mysterious smile, which is hard to avoid.
Fig. 1. Mona Lisa (La Gioconda); ArtsHeaven.com, 19 Jul. 2018, https://www.artsheaven.com/leonardo-da-vinci-mona-lisa.html
Leonardo da Vinci: Madonna of the Carnation
Subject Matter
Madonna of the Carnation is a painting showing Jesus trying to reach out to the flower held in Mary’s finger. He resembles infants who are in their infant stage and unable to control their movements as he makes efforts to grasp the symbol of passion. The following elements are typical of Leonardo landscape, hair, virgin’s face and left hand of Madonna.
Artwork Form
The painting of both Mary and the child contains precious jewelry and clothes while the left hand of Mary holds a carnation. The faces of the drawing are placed into light while the other objects are less illuminated. For instance, the carnation is covered by a shadow. Where the child loo is different from that of the mother and there is no eye contact. The portrait is set in a room and there are two windows on each side of the image.
The Significance of Artwork Medium
The artwork medium, which in this case can be considered as oil paint and the wooden panel, has been used to create a common motif in Christian art. The oil paint has been used to bring the contrast between the mother and child with the background images. Lighter paint has been used to enable the images to be visible.
Personal Feeling about the Work
The painting of Madonna of the Carnation is still outstanding even in the present century and due to this feature, it is the only painting of da Vinci, which is on a permanent display in Germany. The choice of colors used to paint the image was well thought.
Fig. 2. Madonna of the Carnation; leonardodavinci.net, 19 Jul. 2018, https://www.leonardodavinci.net/madonna-of-the-carnation.jsp
Works Cited
Da Vinci, Leonardo. “Madonna of the Carnation.” leonardodavinci.net, n.d., https://www.leonardodavinci.net/madonna-of-the-carnation.jsp. Accessed 19 Jul. 2018.
Da Vinci, Leonardo. “Mona Lisa (La Gioconda).” ArtsHeaven.com, n.d. https://www.artsheaven.com/leonardo-da-vinci-mona-lisa.html. Accessed 19 Jul. 2018.
