It could be the same with Shakespeare. Teachers look way too far into that shit

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Well, it certainly does look like him as a woman.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Except for the fact that when one takes in the depth and scope of his genius, it seems unlikely that he would paint a picture simply because he thought it was "pretty."

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I agree. The man was a genius.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

and besides, people didn't smile for pictures back then.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Or paintings. :) But yes, you're right. I didn't even consider that.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

The Mona Lisa is famous, because it's a picture of a normal working-class woman, painted in times where only rich men could afford something like that. She even used to have eyebrows and eyelashes, but they've most likely fainted away, due to overcleaning The painting was among the first portraits to depict the sitter before an imaginary landscape and Leonardo was one of the first painters to use aerial perspective.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

He was most likely paid to paint it, like most painters were. Someone ordered a painting of her, and so he painted it. He carried it with him, to demonstrate to other painters the majesty of his new methods and such. As an example, he used sfumato, and might have wanted to show other painters his mastery of this technique

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Actually, women provide little distraction.

by Anonymous 14 years ago