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Mona Lisa presents one of the most popular paintings in the contemporary world. Numerous people know and acknowledge Mona Lisa as one of the pioneer paintings, which propelled artwork to receive greater recognition and acceptance. While the Mona Lisa has increased in popularity, it is evident that advertisers have exploited this state to enhance their advertisements and relate with the audience to a greater extent.
Reason for Mona Lisa Popularity
It is evident that Monalisa presents one of the most famous paintings in the world. There are numerous reasons that have resulted in this fame. One of the principal reasons is that the painting was presented by an artist, who is considered a genius in the presentation of paintings, Leonardo da Vinci. It is evident that he has been extensively explored in the contemporary world, including academia. The Mona Lisa presents one of the his most famous paintings based on the attention and effort that he dedicated to the paintings. It is important to note that the painting was developed between 1503 to 1519 (Hales, 2014); consequently, it is evident that he dedicated over 15 years to perfecting the paintings. Therefore, there is a lot to learn and explore in the painting, particularly for aspiring artists and art enthusiasts.
The fame of the painting can also be attributed to the unique artistic approach that was applied in the development of the painting. The painting is considered one of the earliest optical illusion, which attained this through the application of the sfumato approach (de Viguerie et al., 2010). The mysterious smile that is presented in the painting is observed to emerge as an illusion after the application of peripheral vision. After looking at the eyes of Mona Lisa, she appears as if she is smiling. However, the smile fades away as the viewer shifts to the lips. The approach is attributed to the shadow scheme, which was applied in the advancement of the sfumato approach. There are also claims that Mona Lisa appears to be turning her face. The mysterious optical illusions applied by Leonardo fascinates art critiques, enthusiasts and lovers keeping the painting relevant to this day.
Finally, the historical context has contributed towards the fame of the painting, Mona Lisa highlighted the various issues that were faced by artists in the Renaissance period, including the gender experimentation and ambiguities that were present in art at the time. Thus, the painting has been subject to numerous historical researches resulting from the historical basis of the artwork.
Thoughts on whether the original painting has been enhanced or diminished by this change in status
Based on this status, I think that the original painting has been enhanced. Art is presented to an audience to facilitate interpretation. Individual interpretation forms the basis for the advancement of a given artwork since it results in the development of a given artwork to represent that thoughts of the artist. After acquiring such a status, the painting has been exposed to numerous audiences and garnered significant interpretation from the different viewers. The change in the status, therefore, has enhanced the contemporary view of the artwork to different viewers and exposed the artwork to numerous people, which is the ultimate goal of any artist. Thus, its ability to communicate to different people and derive varied responses has improved the painting and attained the original goals of the artist.
Mona Lisa borrowed by Contemporary Advertisers
Orange Telecommunications: In the advertisement, it recognizes the painting as the most famous painting in the world highlighting the reason why it has become more popular. Mona Lisa winks at the crowd as a channel towards creating a connection and illustrating the manner in which trips abroad can be full of surprises. Consequently, the advertiser notes that trips abroad should fascinate one on other levels, but not in regard to their phone bill.
Arby’s: In the advertisement, the advertiser employs the painting to illustrate the quality of their burgers based on the reduced grease that is present in their burgers. After ordering 10 hamburgers from their competitors, a painter proceeds to develop an extra-large painting of Mona Lisa using the grease that is present in the competitor’s hamburgers. Using this approach, the advertisement is able to illustrate the greasy nature of the competitor’s burger.
Samsung Advertisement: Using Mona Lisa, the advertisers employ the Mona Lisa to illustrate their technology, which enables an individual to view different objects in 3-D format. Mona Lisa presents one of the paintings that is featured in the advertisement, which shows he capacity of the technology to transform mere 2D images into 3D imagery.
We can do it today.
From the discussion, it is evident that the Mona Lisa has gained its popularity based on different factors that include: its history, the artist and techniques used. The painting has had a significant impact on contemporary advertisers since it presents a painting that numerous people know and can relate. Therefore, it has become a viable tool for advertisers in the modern world. Based on my opinion, the exposure of the painting to numerous people and its increased success shows its ability to influence people, which is the principal goal of any artist.
- de Viguerie, L., Walter, P., Laval, E., Mottin, B., & Solé, V. A. (2010). Revealing the sfumato Technique of Leonardo da Vinci by X‐Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 49(35), 6125-6128.
- Hales, D. (2014). Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered. Simon and Schuster.