As one of the most revered pieces of artwork of all time, the Mona Lisa is a piece of art that inspires debate and discussion worldwide. It is one of the most well-known pieces of art ever created and is commonly given as an example of one of the most famous pieces we have ever discovered. That being said, some things about the Mona Lisa can slip the public eye. For example, do you know about her smile?
When you look at the Mona Lisa, you see a woman smiling – the artwork depicts a woman who is visibly upset yet is still smiling. When you look closely at the portrait, there is more to this image than meets the eye.
Smiling, yes, but the condition of the lady in the portrait is quite significant in terms of how it contrasts this. Look at her skin, for example – it is a rather worrying shade of yellow. Her hair also looks thin and has bulges and bumps on her neck and nose. Mona Lisa was not very healthy in this picture.
Some speculate that she would have suffered from thyroid issues, which were surprisingly common at the time. The yellowish skin, the thinning hair, and the various blots on her skin all point to someone with hypothyroidism. Others, though, speculate that her discomfort comes from the fact that she would have been sitting down for hours on end!
Others focus on aesthetic factors, such as the fact that she has no eyebrows. However, at the time of the painting, this would have been quite a common look for ladies – it was seen as stylish at the time.
Is the art simply old?
The other explanation for the yellowing skin, though, is the age of the painting. The paint does not last forever – not in the original shade and color that it was. Perhaps if you had seen the Mona Lisa on the day it was painted, she would look far less dated and jaundiced. Sadly, we will never know, but we do know that this is a very famous painting that is at least 500 years old.
Either way, we are sure that this painting will continue to inspire debate and discussion among art lovers for a long time to come.