Mona Lisa

This is a famous painting of a woman with a mysterious smile. It was made by Leonardo da Vinci a long time ago, and people still wonder about her secret.

What do you see?

You see a woman sitting in front of a landscape. She has long hair and wears a dark dress. Her hands are folded in her lap. The background shows a winding path, a bridge, and mountains. The colors are soft and blend together.

Look closely

Look at her smile. Does it change when you look at her eyes instead of her mouth?
Notice the background: the left side seems higher than the right. Does that make the painting feel dreamy?
Look at her hands. They are painted very carefully. Can you see the folds of her dress?
The landscape has no clear lines. How does that make you feel?
Look at the edges of her face. Are there sharp lines, or is everything soft?

Style and technique

Leonardo used a technique called sfumato (say: sfoo-MAH-toe). It means "smoky" in Italian. He painted many thin layers of oil paint so that colors blend softly. There are no sharp outlines. This makes the painting look realistic and mysterious. The Mona Lisa is a portrait, a painting of a real person. It was made during the Renaissance, a time when artists studied nature and anatomy to make lifelike art.

Feeling

The Mona Lisa makes you feel curious. Her smile is famous because it is hard to read. Is she happy? Sad? Thinking? That mystery is part of why the painting is so special.

Connections

Try this

Try drawing a portrait of someone you know. Use soft lines and blend colors with your finger or a tissue. Can you make their expression mysterious?

Next to find

Find another painting that uses sfumato. How does it compare?
Look for a portrait from a different time period. How is it different from the Mona Lisa?
Visit the Louvre Museum (in real life or online) and see the Mona Lisa in its room.

蒙娜丽莎

这是一幅著名的画，画中一位女士带着神秘的微笑。它是列奥纳多·达·芬奇很久以前画的，人们至今仍在猜测她的秘密。

你看到了什么？

你看到一位女士坐在风景前。她留着长发，穿着深色连衣裙。她的双手交叠放在腿上。背景显示了一条蜿蜒的小路、一座桥和山脉。色彩柔和，相互融合。

仔细看

看她的微笑。当你看着她的眼睛而不是嘴巴时，微笑会变化吗？
注意背景：左侧似乎比右侧高。这会让画作感觉梦幻吗？
看她的手。它们画得非常仔细。你能看到她裙子的褶皱吗？
风景没有清晰的线条。这让你感觉如何？
看她脸的边缘。有锐利的线条吗，还是所有东西都是柔和的？

风格与技巧

列奥纳多使用了一种叫做晕涂法的技巧（意大利语意为“烟雾般的”）。他画了许多薄薄的油画颜料层，使颜色柔和地融合在一起。没有清晰的轮廓。这使得画作看起来真实而神秘。《蒙娜丽莎》是一幅肖像画，画的是一个真实的人。它创作于文艺复兴时期，那时艺术家研究自然和解剖学，以创作逼真的艺术。

感受

《蒙娜丽莎》让你感到好奇。她的微笑之所以著名，是因为难以解读。她开心吗？悲伤吗？思考吗？这个谜团正是这幅画如此特别的原因之一。

关联

试试这个

试着画一幅你认识的人的肖像。使用柔和的线条，用手指或纸巾混合颜色。你能让他们的表情变得神秘吗？

下次寻找

找另一幅使用晕涂法的画作。比较一下它们有什么不同？
寻找来自不同时期的肖像画。它与《蒙娜丽莎》有什么不同？
参观卢浮宫（实地或在线），在它的展厅里看看《蒙娜丽莎》。

Mona Lisa蒙娜丽莎