Looking at Great Art Practice

Line

It’s easy to see that Leonardo placed Mona Lisa in a very vertical pose.  This is to be expected, since we know that a vertical line conveys static, formal and dignified ideas-- how appropriate for depicting the wife of a wealthy Florentine man! Notice she’s not slouching or leaning casually, but sits upright to have her portrait painted just the same as you would.

Color

Leonardo uses color to create illusions of space in this painting.  Notice how the warmer colors of the flesh tones appear to be closer to us, while cooler buish-greenish colors recede into the background.  Leonardo was a master painter who was noted for his beautiful blending of colors, as can be seen in his delicate treatment of Mona Lisa’s hands.

Value

It’s easy to find all three methods of handling values (lights and darks) in this painting. 

Leonardo uses transitional value changes to show the smooth, rounded details of the woman’s delicate, soft hands.  He uses abrupt value changes to show the silhouette of the hands against her dark garment.  Broken value changes in the sleeves of her dress contrast the wrinkles and folds of the fabric against the soft, fleshy hands.

Texture

Even in this small section of the painting above Mona Lisa’s right shoulder, it’s clear how Leonardo used a wide variety of textures to make the artwork even more appealing by stimulating our sense of touch.  By contrasting the smooth glowing flesh and delicate transparent veil with the craggy rocks in the distance, he accentuates both and creates what we term a “foil.

Space

There are many illusionistic techniques used here to fool our eyes into thinking that Mona Lisa is seated before a vast landscape.  The first is seen as Mona Lisa overlaps part of the background.  Because the rugged cliffs stop at her silhouette, it’s easy for us to accept that they’re behind her. 

Ladder perspective is used to keep leading our eyes into the distance.  It’s easy to see the meandering paths and rivers working their way upward, therefore moving further away from us.

Leonardo also creates space with atmospheric perspective.  We have many small details on the figure of Mona Lisa—the pleats on her dress, strands of her hair, the almost transparent veil that covers her head.  However, the features of the landscape in the distance become blurred, pale, and misty, telling us they’re far in the distance.  Also note that the warmer colors are in the foreground figure and middle ground landforms, but the cooler colors are found in the distance. 

Shape

Leonardo used shapes to create a typical High Renaissance composition—he organized his objects along geometric principles.   This can be seen in how he positions her body in the general shape of a triangle.  Even the well-known “Mona Lisa smile” is nothing more than the arc of a circle.

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