Secrets of the Mona Lisa

Explore the captivating history, mysteries, and fame of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Uncover the stories behind its enigmatic smile, infamous theft, and the ongoing debates surrounding this iconic masterpiece.

Author: Arnaldo Teodorani
Host: Simon Whistler
Producer: Samuel Avila

[rebeccaphin]

I went to the Louvre and as someone with a degree in fine art I was so excited to see some of the most famous pieces of art, what I wasn’t that bothered about was seeing the Mona Lisa but as they say: ‘when in Rome’. Luckily we must’ve hit it at a quiet time and being small I was able to weave my way to the front fairly quickly and I have to say I was surprisingly enraptured by the Mona Lisa. I’m not sure if it was because I had such low expectations, knowing that she was so small and expecting to be waiting for ages to see her up close or because I appreciated the techniques and the historical significance of the painting (or more likely both) but I found myself unable to look away from her and it was all I could talk about for the rest of the day, it felt like seeing a celebrity

[daveboz]

genuinely thank you, as having heard why artists respect and enjoy this painting is really interesting. the lack of defined lines is striking especially when taken from a pioneer within the genre. while i still wouldnt want to pay to travel to see the painting in person i can now really understand why artists would wish to do so.

[sptownsend]

Everyone I've ever talked to who has seen the Mona Lisa says it's smaller than they expected, but I remember when visited the Louvre in 2015, it was actually bigger than I expected. I also have never experienced the "eyes following the viewer everywhere in the room" illusion, so I have maintained not much more regard for the painting than any of its contemporaries. This video has changed that -- I didn't know it was painted on slabs of wood! Also, the engineering that goes into keeping a 500 year old painting soup-proof but also minimizing the impersonal nature of a glass case is amazing!

[padawanmage]

When i hear about another Mona Lisa being found, I can’t help thinking of that Doctor Who serial back in the 70s where an alien stuck on earth forces DaVinci to paint multiple Monas to be able to sell them later

[MisterPlanePilot]

"But enough about me" bahaha I laughed harder than I should have 😂

[colinr]

Went through the Louvre in 2002. Must say, paintings in general do little for me, (although a good Albert Namatjira landscape I certainly admire) and the Mona Lisa is good only because of the person who did it.
In 2000, during the Sydney Olympics, Bill Gates donated a codex (note pad) of Leonardo’s. The pages were kept pressed between two panes of glass, in a cabinet with inert gas and under special lighting so as to not damage the paper.
THAT was outstanding!
To look at his hand drawn sketches and his own handwriting was just amazing. Sure, the helicopter he drew may have needed adjustments to actually fly, but to consider this was in the mind of someone 500 years before a helicopter was ever built….
And his anatomy drawings and the Vitruvian Man….unbelievable!

[Timmycoo]

Man I was about to say, the old "lady" who was trying to vandalize it was nuts, only to find out it was a 30 something man lol.

[fabricdragon]

i dont think it was a painting OF his apprentice, but its certainly plausible he had him sit as a posed portrait model to get the shadows and folds of the garment and so on...

[lizmattucks]

It's more than just a little compelling that you can overlay Da Vinci's face onto Mona Lisa's and the facial features match perfectly. Whoever it was supposed to be a portrait of, I believe he just used a mirror and some imagination.

[macseven]

The hallway in front of the room the Mona Lisa is in has so many incredible pieces of art.

Heck, in the same room, across from the Mona Lisa, there's an amazing mural!

Its not worth the effort to see it.

[davesartbook]

I liked the part where Simon said "grilled Salmon".

[jdawgchappellicious]

For future reference: 7:19 Brunelleschi pronounced "broon-el-es-kee", 19:29 Guillaume pronounced "gee-yome", 24:54 Uffizi pronounced "oo-feet-see"

[kyliejohn]

It’s a troubling thought that destroying a unique work of art would ever result in support of the vandals.

[NateButlerFresnoCA]

Thank you for another excellent video essay! As always, I learned a lot here. But, I must admit that I was hoping that you'd explore the controversial theory that the Mona Lisa is actually a self-portrait by Leonardo, depicting himself as a young woman. I'm not saying that I believe that theory, but it is very interesting, and worth exploring. But I loved this video.

[kirbymarchbarcena]

A one-of-a-kind painting that no AI can replicate.

[mikukurisaki]

Ooh! Speaking of the Louvré, did you hear they accepted a basketball hoop as a piece of art? I hear it's considered a... Rim-brandt! :)

[fishypaw]

FYI: The reference photo @ 1:16 is wrong. This particular photo is published in a lot of books etc (I don't know why), but it has a bad yellow cast to it, which makes the painting look more "aged" (i.e. with yellow varnish) than it is in real life. It's something that annoys me. I wish people would stop using that bad copy. If you check modern photos (with a correct colour temperature), you will see what I mean.

[sydneyslaughter]

All I can think of is the Magic Treehouse book about the Mona Lisa. Gave me a real appreciation for the painting and the artist

[ShouldHaveBeen]

The story behind "The Battle of Anghiari" is also very interesting.

[mdsfo]

500 years ago beauty standards were different. High foreheads were in, and women sometimes shaved their hairlines toacheive it. Her eyebrows may have been shaved as well. Of course, she may have had medical problems too. People back then didn't live very long in general, few ever reached the age of 50. Interesting video!