The Works of Leonardo Da Vinci in the Creation of the Mona Lisa Images - Essay Example

Running head: A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS Name Course Institution Tutor Date Introduction A picture is worth a thousand words. A lot of information can be derived from looking or studying the impression of art through pictures. The work of art expressed in a picture depicts the thought of the artist together with the themes that inspired its creation. In this view, an image can communicate a lot depending on the time it was created and the intentions of the creator. Images, paintings and other pieces of art have been used to communicate since the ancient times. Art can today be used to tell information about history and what a specific group of people used to be like during its time. Different times in history and in time are all characterised by different aspects in terms of environment, culture, social aspects among other things. A painting done two centuries ago for instance would have striking difference associated with the time as would a painting done at present. The Mona Lisa paintings One of the most famous works of art through painting is the Mona Lisa. The painting was done by Leonardo da Vinci around five centuries ago. The painting has come to be a phenomenon which has elicited a lot of reactions since its discovery. It is termed as one of the most prestigious paintings and works of art in modern history. Recently, a near replica of the old Mona Lisa was released and it is believed that it was created by the same artist around the same time. In the new painting, the Mona Lisa looks younger than in the older version. The striking similarities of the two portraits clearly tell that the presentations in the portraits are the same person but at different ages. The older version of the Mona Lisa lies in the Louvre Museum in Paris where millions of spectators turn up to see it from all over the world. The release of the new Mona Lisa only elicited al lot of interests from art lovers all over the world. This was especially from people who had seen the earlier version (ABC News, 2012). The version with the younger Mona Lisa came to be known as the Isleworth Mona Lisa. It shows a dark haired young woman who is crossing her arms against a distant background behind her. Experts and the Mona Lisa foundation have insisted that it is not a replica of the older version but an earlier version to the masterpiece foundation in the Louvre museum. However, doubts have risen about the authenticity of the second Mona Lisa, given that it sat for forty years in a Swiss vault before being released to the public. Its authenticity in terms of age and originality has also been questioned. Questions raised regarded its age and whether it is truly da Vinci who painted it. Though the claims are not refuted it is agreed that more studies need to be carries out on the painting though all testes so far support its age and time of painting which corresponds to the older Mona Lisa. Looking at the two images and the reactions that they elicit from different people, it can clearly be seen that a simple image can hold so much power in it. The painting has attracted the media from all over thee world who have helped to show case the images to different people who have had different views and reactions (Convergence, 2013). Traditionally, it is believed that human beings have used art to express themselves and communicate over long periods of time. Even before written language was discovered, it is believed that the use of art was a common use of communication in ancient histories in the world. Art and images at large have no boundaries to what they can communicate. This is especially where different people have different interpretations and views of what they see in a piece of art. All art work contains a message that has intent and meaning which the artists is trying to relay Looking at the two Mona Lisa paintings, a lot of information and communication can be derived rom them. First, the younger painting of Mona Lisa shows a younger lady who looks happier and smiley than the older Mona Lisa. The newer painting also shows a brighter background compared to the older one. The grooming on the newer painting also brings out the age difference between the two more clearly. The attire in term of clothing looks similar, though the clothes worn by the younger Mona Lisa look much newer in colour. Her complexion between the two paintings also tells a difference in age of the two. Different people interpret art differently and give diverse meanings to them. There are those that believe the Mona Lisa is just a painting of a woman in a cloak while others consider it as one of the most magnificent artistic representations ever discovered. What ever the case, a picture has the ability to elicit reactions in terms of thoughts, emotions, perceptions and knowledge in them. In this case, pictures such as the Mona Lisa have linguistic and symbolic codes that they communicate to different people. It is possible to deduce some information fro the 1500s when the paintings are believed to have been made by Leonardo Da Vinci (Strickland, Boswell, 2007, p. 3). One thing that is unique about pictures is that they use no verbal form of communication or a gesture. Therefore to deduce information from it, critical studying is required alongside other supportive information. A picture is itself a language since it shows a gesture that is shared intentionally as an infrastructure. The objective of the creator of the picture ids share their thoughts, emotions, knowledge and perceptions. In short the essence is to communicate to the viewer in amore realistic manner. A picture is also a store of information a, concepts and ideas and knowledge. Support information that accompanies a picture is very crucial in terms of the communication it delivers across. For instance, the interpretation and information that is derived from both of the Mona Lisa pictures is based on the belief that they are original paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci. Therefore, every person that seeks interpretation form the images base their perceptions on tis presumed fact. For instance the first and older version of the Mona Lisa is believed by many to be the real work of Leonardo da Vinci (Livingstone, Hubel, 2002, p. 13). As a result, the views about the cultures, ideology, perceptions and fashions at the time are apparent. The same cannot be said by opponents of originality of the younger Mona Lisa. The images of the Mona Lisa could also be termed as human cooperative communication where information is shared through psychological infrastructure in an intentional manner. This has been the case throughout evolution where human beings have passed on information in communication in artistic manners like pictures. Conventionally, the pictures also pass a form of imitative and culture which is generally understood by those who interpret it constructively. In an attempt to interpret the meaning that is held in old paintings and pictures such as the Mona Lisa, digital convergence has been used (Convergence, 2013). This means remaking old media through digital media such as computers, televisions, and online platforms. With the aid of digital convergence, art can be seen all over the world and people can interpret it according to their understanding and information provided to them (Tong, Liu, Zhou, Pan, 2013, p. 3. Active participation of the media in communication gives art like pictures a lager exposure which takes communication even further. For instance, a majority of the people in the world have not physically seen either of the Mona Lisa paintings but through media convergence, this has been made possible (Carbon, Hesslinger, 2013, p. 888). Millions of people can access the pictures and even print them fro anywhere in the world. Furthermore, media convergence provides platforms for further communication and analysis of visible aspects in art communication. This way, people can get different meanings and interpretations and communicate their views all over the world Conclusion The works of Leonardo Da Vinci in the creation of the Mona Lisa images are recognised all over the world. Though many people have different interpretations of pictures and artwork at large, it is clear from the attention that the younger and older Mona Lisa paintings have received. This is facilitated by the rich history that is associated with the same period the paintings were made. Though the images are strikingly similar, they have a lot of differences in them. The fact that thee newer version of the painting was only released of late, the communication it triggers is different form the older one. The fact that it is also a younger version on the painting also elicits further scrutiny and interest in the two portraits. To some t is just a portrait or a picture of a woman. However, the significance is overwhelming, given the resources that have been used to safeguard the two paintings. No matter what information or communication that is derived from the tow portraits, the maxim of “a picture is worth a thousand words” is clearly proven by the stature they have take on art lovers and society at large References ABC News, 2012, Painting of younger Mona Lisa unveiled, < Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-28/mona-lisa/4284918> Carbon, C, Hesslinger, V, 2013, ‘Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa entering the next dimension’, Perception, vol. 42, pp. 887-893. Convergence. (2013). Retrieved November 18, 2013, from http://www.communications.gov.au/ Livingstone, M, Hubel, D, 2002, Vision and art: The biology of seeing, Harry N. Abrams, New York. Strickland, C, Boswell, J, 2007, The annotated Mona Lisa: A crash course in art history from prehistoric to post-modern, Andrews McMeel Publishing. Tong, J., Liu, L., Zhou, J., & Pan, Z, 2013, Mona Lisa alive. The Visual Computer, 1-10. Read More