Sign-In
Cart
Mona Lisa: The History of the World's Most Famous Painting
Paperback
Series: Story of the Best-Known Painting in the World
Art HistoryGeneral ArtArchitecture History
ISBN13: 9780007106158
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: Sep 2 2002
Pages: 368
Weight: 0.77
Height: 0.98 Width: 5.00 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
A narrative history of how Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the Mona Lisa came to be the most famous in the world - and one of the most powerful cultural icons of our time.
What has made the Mona Lisa the most famous picture in the world? Why is it that, of all the 6,000 paintings in the Louvre, it is the only one to be exhibited in a special box, set in concrete and protected by two sheets of bulletproof glass? Why do thousands of visitors throng to see it every day, ignoring the masterpieces which surround it?
For nearly 500 years the painting - and the mysterious smile on the face of the sitter - has been a source of mystery, speculation and reverence. In this groundbreaking new book Donald Sassoon describes not only the Mona Lisa and its history, but its mythology, and the processes which combined to raise it to its current unrivalled level of fame. He examines Leonardo's innovative techniques; the problems concerning the identity of the sitter; what happened to the painting after it left Italy when Leonardo joined King François I's court in France; the copies made in the 17th century; its celebration by 19th-century intellectuals; its theft and disappearance early in the 20th century; the surrealists', other avant-garde artists' and cartoonists' uses of it; its appropriation by the advertising industry; and the never-ending flood of new and 'conclusive' theories about Mona Lisa's smile.
Also in
Art History
The Secrets of Art: Uncovering the Mysteries and Messages of Great Works of Art
Mancoff, Debra N.
Hardcover
Progressive Design in the Midwest: The Purcell-Cutts House and the Prairie School Collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Olivarez, Jennifer Komar
Paperback
Sabine's Notebook: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Continues
Bantock, Nick
Hardcover
Paint by Sticker (Official): Works of Art: Re-Create 12 Iconic Masterpieces One Sticker at a Time!
Workman Publishing
Paperback
Paint by Sticker (Official): Masterpieces: Re-Create 12 Iconic Artworks One Sticker at a Time!
Workman Publishing
Paperback
Stupid Faces in Stunning Paintings: A Serious Exploration of Art History's Silliest Expressions
Mierlo, Matthijs Van
Hardcover
The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland
Young, Michelle
Hardcover
Oliver Byrne's Elements of Euclid: The First Six Books with Coloured Diagrams and Symbols (Art Meets Science Edition)
Art Meets Science
Hardcover
Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It
Ramirez, Janina
Paperback
Paint by Sticker (Official): Portraits: Re-Create 12 Historic Paintings One Sticker at a Time!
Workman Publishing
Paperback
Flashes of Brilliance: The Genius of Early Photography and How It Transformed Art, Science, and History
Burgess, Anika
Hardcover
The Secrets of Painting: The Hidden Art of the Masterpiece from Prehistory to Today
Goudie, Lachlan
Hardcover
The Short Story of Queer Art: A Pocket Guide to Key Movements, Works, Themes & Breakthroughs
Hoskin, Dawn
Paperback
Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World's Greatest Museum
Sciolino, Elaine
Paperback
The Annotated Mona Lisa, Third Edition: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to the Present
Strickland, Carol
Paperback
Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart: What Art Teaches Us about the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive
Ramsey, Russ
Hardcover
AP Art History Premium, Sixth Edition: Prep Book with 5 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice
Nici, John B., M. a.
Paperback
Weaving at Black Mountain College: Anni Albers, Trude Guermonprez, and Their Students
Beggs, Michael
Thomson, Julie J.
Hardcover
Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World's Greatest Museum
Sciolino, Elaine
Hardcover
Rethinking American Art: Collectors, Critics, and the Changing Canon
Stebbins Jr, Theodore E., Jr.
Hardcover