Mona Lisa (short version)i: Great Art Explained

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There is a longer (30 minute) version of this video on my site ( • Mona Lisa (Full Length... ) which is better quality and deals with questions like "Why doesn't she have eyebrows?" and "Is she only famous because she was stolen" - this shorter version though, gives you a good overview.
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"What a brilliant series this is" - Stephen Fry on Twitter 12 December 2020
"Thoroughly researched and cleverly presented, with stunning visuals, Great Art Explained makes you realise that familiarity with a work of art sometimes makes us indifferent to its power" - Forbes Magazine, 9 July 2020
Great art explained in under fifteen minutes. James Payne discusses the Mona Lisa in the first in this series of short films.
I started "Great Art Explained" during lockdown. My aim is to make videos which focus on one great artwork. I want to present art in a jargon free, entertaining, clear and concise way with no gimmicks.
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The Mona Lisa is without doubt the most famous painting in the world, yet perhaps we are over familiar with her. Here I explain why I think it is not only a great painting but also a revolution in art.
CREDITS
Chinese subtitles by Xue Charles.
Italian subtitles by Andreo Telesforo
Sono disponibili i sottotitoli in Italiano. Li trovi su Impostazioni.
Spanish Subtitles by Xanderall
Hindi subtitles by Piyush Rana
French subtitles by Ismael Kraeber
Greek Subtitles by Dimitris Grammenos
Portugese (Br) Subtitles by Gustavo Lyra
All the videos, songs, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners and I or this channel does not claim any right over them.
BOOKS
Mona Lisa Revealed - Guiseppe Pallantini
Mona Lisa: The History of the world's most famous painting - Sassoon
Leonardo Da Vinci - Walter Isaacson
The Complete Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci - Paul Richter (editor)
Music: Samuel Barber, Adagio for Strings
"Theme" music: JS Bach “Sonata for violin solo No.1 in G Minor”
Windsor and Newton Video (great resource for artists!) - • Using oil paints with ...
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

[@GreatArtExplained]

There is a longer (30 minute) version of this video on my site (@) which is better quality and deals with questions like "Why doesn't she have eyebrows?" and "Is she only famous because she was stolen?" - this shorter version though, gives you a good overview.

[@shalamarwallace2038]

You guys are so far off. It's the face of a newborn baby. And it was originally called the mawu-lisa. And was not painted by him. It was painted by Mawu. The real Mawu...not the fake who was a witch who posed as Mawu to try to tarnish her image.

[@beauty4u132]

Thank you!!!! 🙏🏽

[@moonchaser2240]

Im still waiting for the part 2

[@trentbateman]

Thanks for pinning this comment

[@aux_anges]

That's great and all by why is it 480 p in the year 2020?

[@whatitduz2382]

This man can narrate my failures to my parents as accomplishments

[@GreatArtExplained]

😂

[@masnoonbd5550]

Lmao🤣

[@BaghdadiRose]

Hahahaha legit

[@akilasvm]

😂😂

[@princegaming8877]

i think so too 🤣

[@monalisa3549]

I feel appreciated.

[@shareenajay7540]

Lol 😆😆

[@vishwasmeshram9241]

Good to know that you are not just stuck inside Louvre 😂

[@venelaamba3860]

XD

[@yumnausmani1988]

Leonardo should

[@bridgetb3958]

Lol

[@jonnymayes4251]

“When you stand in front of the Mona Lisa, you are looking at more than just a portrait of an individual, you are looking at the accumulated knowledge of a genius, who blended art, science and magic, to create a profound meditation on what it means to be human.” Damm what a quote! Very eloquently written, great work

[@coobeanz9388]

Not that serious

[@thatsafactjack6513]

haha read my post if you research enough in that time basically same as practiced today the secret society. this mona thing really leo he painted picture of himself stop being so prideful lol.

[@jonnymayes4251]

@@thatsafactjack6513 wtf are you talking about mate, did you have a stroke during the writing of that comment? Makes zero sense my man

[@thatsafactjack6513]

@@jonnymayes4251 stop being foolish friend seriously it’s known fact kings and queens of that time in life were practicing cross genders with there puppets the same as today there is patterns to human behaviors and what evil does if you ever want to see the details in the people who painted you won’t have to go far . look at our politicians all throughout our history their agenda is to deceive us in everything. it’s a game they play with our youth among other topics not taught in schools. and don’t judge me by my name i picked that up from bill in the movie stripes 1980’s. of course he was a freemason to.

[@yaseenbadarudeen4418]

Was monalia a real person? Was she pregnant?

[@genericname6669]

I never understood the 'hype' about monalisa, a pretty bland looking painting of an average looking face, to an art noob like me, who at max can draw a daisy flower and a hut. For the first time i finally can appreciate why she is as popular as she is, and why people go nuts over this art piece. Thank you, for finally making people like me "see" the real beauty and appreciate it.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks for watching

[@faryallone968]

So true 💯%✨✨

[@joebutlersnr7017]

I used to think she rather plain , how wrong could I be?

[@andywallace5029]

If you see her face to face, you will understand. I have very little art knowledge, but you will be in awe. I geared up and was so surprised at the experience

[@andywallace5029]

Geared up

[@dionysise5008]

Finally just art explanation without all the conspiracy theory. Thanks

[@GreatArtExplained]

Yes there are a lot of conspiracy theories out there 🙄 Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@thinginground5179]

@@GreatArtExplained I had no idea there were conspiracy theories about art but ok

[@leftysheppey]

@@thinginground5179 the one I hear the most is that it's the end of the world. The difference in horizon levels signifies a massive tidal change, apparently. There's also something about what the mona Lisa was painted on. Some people think it's another painting and wonder why it was covered

[@indraneelpandit4980]

As someone who never figured out why people spend hours in front of paintings, this video is a true revelation. Thanks for opening up this amazing vista!

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks 🙏 for watching! Check out my other videos

[@Sarcasticsanskar]

Completely agree bro... I used think how can we not see what the art nerds are seeing... Because we are not how to look at paintings and what to look for... 😁

[@maculka999]

I have seen so many videos on Mona Lisa, all of them being stuck in trying to find her identity. This is the first time somebody actually dived deep into the painting itself. Thank you for that and for helping me see her in a totally different light!

[@ken1midjourney]

Agreed

[@mrcrossovermark1153]

KZbin’s algorithm just showed me how much of a genius Leonardo da Vinci actually is. The degree of difficulty of this painting is just crazy. Never really realized it before watching this.

[@usuallyblockedforspeakingt2803]

I have a high res image of the mona lisa, when you enlarge it , you can not only se the detail in the thread of 'her' dress, you can even see the fibres in each thread of cotton...it is mind blowing!

[@ken1midjourney]

He was indeed a genius and a true artist

[@matthewlui1004]

The most fascinating thing to me is that she feels so natural even when she doesn't have eyebrows.

[@deespace3744]

I read somewhere that Leonardo had drawn her eyebrows but due to the activities that had taken place to destroy this marvelous painting had faded the eyebrows to such an extent that they are only visible through a microscope.

[@GreatArtExplained]

That’s true - over restoration. Thanks for watching 🙏 please check out my other videos!

[@confusedhomosapien6231]

@@deespace3744 Actually, I think I read somewhere that it was a known trend at that time to shave of their eyebrows to emphasis their forehead size because a high forehead signified beauty and wealth.

[@gato0082]

As a child my first look at her I thought she looked a little homely, plain, but nobody can deny her mystery, & allure, also looks like she may have had a good figure 🤔👌😏✝️🌫️🌫️🌫️🌫️she's a, LEGEND 🙏

[@Americansikkunt]

@@gato0082 she was Leonardo in drag lol

[@ephinem]

leonardo: I didn’t level the horizon correctly damn it the experts: leonardo tried to trick us by not leveling the horizon

[@ScentOn]

🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍

[@henryo2077]

Basically ever English teacher whenever the author mentions a colour

[@nickknirk]

Haaaa

[@jellybeanchris]

@@henryo2077 "the blue curtain represents the main characters sorrow; blocking the sunlight of happiness through the window of hope" 😂

[@toddcoward6245]

Leonardo : I'm too lazy to paint the background so I'm gonna blur it People : New technique

[@Whyalwaysm0]

This narrator is a genius himself, explains every detail without confusion

[@PlutoRama]

I always saw Mona Lisa as a psychological mirror. She is sad or happy, smiling or not smiling only depending on how I feel. She is so perfectly neutral, that only emotional dimension she can have comes from the viewer. And now hearing that she was LDV's favorite I better understand why. Everyone should wear this portrait in form of a pocket mirror of the soul. So when you start to love Mona Lisa, you actually started to love yourself.

[@sl7883]

she's always smiling to me. i was born partially deaf and so i spend a lot of time looking at lips instead of eyes and so i always saw her soft gentle smile. she feels like a goddess and the look on her face says she knows she really is one. its confident and yet invitational.

[@OpiumBride]

You have to switch between her eyes and Her lips quickly

[@kornaxon3522]

Same for me. However quickly i switch between eyes and lips, she's still smiling. I wish i could see what he is talking about, but no, the painting looks static to me.

[@fashionkiller5052]

Same for me - absolutely no change in her smile quickly flicking between No change at all-

[@NgaNguyen-hs3pg]

She's always smiling. I don't see the difference.

[@govindjisahai3912]

@@NgaNguyen-hs3pg ciuyygghif

[@rorisxng]

“Some people are disappointed when they first see the most famous painting in the world.” THIS! This was my exact experience of the Mona Lisa. You come across huge artworks with intricate, dynamic compositions throughout the Louvre as you walk to the Mona Lisa and when you finally see it, it’s relatively small, seen from quite a distance in a fairly crowded room. You feel far removed from the painting in a sense.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Yes I was disappointed myself - now I know more about it though, I feel different - it really is a masterpiece! Thanks for watching 🙏

[@ericktellez7632]

Damn at least you got to see it in person, i am a poor fuck from latin america that probably wont ever get the chance to visit is too expensive

[@Sky-TheYouTubeAccount]

@@ericktellez7632 Relatable but in Asian lol.

[@HillaryMarek]

I went with a group back in college and the biggest surprise for me was the size. I don’t know why in my head I was picturing it being very large but that’s just how I had always envisioned it. No you know what as a matter fact I do know why I think that it just came to me… Do you remember the scene from the movie Annie where they are carrying the painting in and daddy Warbucks says to get rid of it and then he changes his mind and says no I like something about her smile put her in my bathroom or something like that? Then the servants carry the very large painting up the stairs; the painting is so large that it required two people or more to carry it and was definitely about the size you would imagine of a large gallery painting to be. That must be why my brain had always thought it was going to be around that size, then when you get there and see it , it’s a huge contrast to what you had envisioned it to be. Also the encasement made it more difficult to see because people (myself included) were using flash cameras which was causing glare and I was not able to get a good picture (this was back in the 90s before everyone was carrying around phones with built-in cameras. And you couldn’t instantly see the result of the picture so you had to take several pictures and hope for the best that one of them came out well enough to use.) I would love to go back now 20 years later and view it from the perspective of an artist and historian instead of the hurried and Distracted eyes of a college student in a foreign country for the first time. I wonder how differently I would see these paintings now or if I would still have the same impressions as I did back then. Oh wow this is a long comment OK I’m done.

[@pam8sj0611]

So true

[@nobodyaskedbut]

Leonardo's intellect was on such a high level that he probably got easily bored by the actual task following an idea. That might be why he had such a difficult time finishing many projects. To him the challenge might have been in his head from the discovery & learning. The making of a concrete "thing" didn't hold his interest as well because there was so much more to discover & learn. Maybe when he completed his 2 masterworks he was then ready to move on to something else other than painting. To him painting was perhaps just another callenging endeavor.

[@meghaposani6908]

"Monalisa is not a painting, she is a living breathing woman, with a soul". This line wonderfully summarizes the great art. Kudos to you!

[@scheinweltco]

Amen!

[@Nangoncrazy]

Just a painting.

[@manjunathareddy6548]

Have you seen Raja Ravi Varma's painting?? If he was born in west then monalisa painting was a mediocre

[@meghaposani6908]

@@manjunathareddy6548 Bro, what do you know about paintings? Respond with a link to some of your work, if any. I do know Ravi Varma is a great painter. But, that doesn't in any way diminish the great works of Leonard Da Vinci, including Mona Lisa.

[@manjunathareddy6548]

@@meghaposani6908 I'm just saying Mona Lisa is overrated to my eyes. Sorry if my perception hurts you!

[@eviloverlordsean]

OK... my mind is officially blown. Leonardo's masterpiece wasn't simply based on technique, but on his anatomical studies of how humans SEE? this is genius of the first order; thanks for creating (as an aside, nice use of Adagio For Strings)

[@rolethguadalquiver4247]

In three (3) sentences, explain the rationale behind why "The Mona Lisa" of Leonardo da Vinci is considered the most prestigious artform in the world.. Answer please

[@usuallyblockedforspeakingt2803]

Da Vinci was on another level , hard to imagine how he was the genius that he was. On a side note you may know this already but 'adagio for strings' was written by samuel barber for winston churchill's funeral. Just thought it may be of interest to some people.

[@TarekChaabo]

Leonardo could be really one of the greatest minds that ever lived. I am working on turbulence, a mathematical subject that isn't solved yet. When i did the bibliography report, it all started from Leonardo's observation of cascade falling into a river. He was struck how the structures that formed were not random and subject to some physical aspects and he documented his observations by brilliant drawings. Centuries later we are still trying to figure out the phenomenon that he observed first.

[@TallulahLaGhash]

I've already finished turbulence

[@1BrilliantLife]

Mona Lisa, Leonardo's meditation of sixteen years continue to fascinate us over five centuries. Imagine Leonardo's utter delight in knowing that men in distant lands and distant centuries marvel over his masterpiece. A man in Bali commenting on a video made by a British man on a work by a Maestro from Italy. In a 15 minute video, you have remarkably achieved for me what Walter Isaacson couldn't in his 900 page Leonardo's biography. You describe Mona Lisa not as a painting, but a woman with a soul. Only because of how beautifully you weave the scientific, the artistic, the mystical and the human can I appreciate fully Mona Lisa's beauty. Through her beauty, Leonardo's mastery. My most profound gratitude to you, Mona Lisa, and the Maestro Leonardo 🙏

[@DoggmaticProductions]

Years of schooling and nothing. 10 mins on KZbin and it's all explained.

[@adamwilliam7028]

Beautiful How is the day going today with you

[@irreverentbard7322]

@@adamwilliam7028 you’re a creepy dude.

[@yankee2666]

Isn't that often the way things work?

[@imrecco]

@@adamwilliam7028 bro chill you down astronomical 😂

[@donaldcassidy1592]

Ain't that the truth!

[@luvicidee]

I didnt know Leonardo Da Vinci worked so hard on this painting for years by the way thank you for explaining

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks for watching ! 🙏

[@ordinary_person_from_heaven]

Okay, I think we all can agree that till today, Not a single artist have made a portrait as astonishing as Mona Lisa. Leonardo Di-Vinci is a real genius.

[@anjou6497]

I do think Vermeer was a gifted genius.

[@treasurechest123]

Dear James, I am rewatching your early “films” after hearing your Live Chat yesterday. I’m even more impressed now than the first time I watched it, knowing what you put into it and what you have achieved since this first film. Congratulations! And thank you for your important contributions to culture. You have inspired me in many ways!

[@anipdag]

She's not smiling, she's about to smile. This is what makes the portrait the masterpiece.

[@edeliteedelite1961]

I disagree, that is her expression.

[@sanjayshorey4225]

She is about to say "lol".

[@sakshamawadhiya1465]

@@sanjayshorey4225lol XD*

[@ellenlevenson7831]

I think her smile exemplifies the extraordinary amount of composure that women of the day had to exhibit, regardless how they felt. She might have been irritated by having had to sit day after day for her portrait, but she was forbidden by society to show it. Her eyes, on the other hand, do not smile so much; and her smile is very faint. She's actually a study in composure, something modern society appears to have foresaken.

[@LazlosPlane]

Or, she was just laughing and had to compose herself.

[@texastrustedoralsurgeon6830]

The Mona Lisa is the first motion picture in history. Not that she moves, but our eyes are tricked into seeing her smile change as we look into her eyes. It’s tempting to think this was an accidental effect as he never recreated it in another work.

[@GreatArtExplained]

I think he used this painting to try out all his new techniques - thanks for the comment 🙏

[@dOVERanalyst]

You think he would have been alive if he recreated it?

[@ThePitchblue]

I don't see her smile change when I redirect my focus on either her lips or her eyes. she honestly has the same expression to me, wherever I look.

[@risky9536]

@@ThePitchblue try switching your focus between her lips and eyes fast and you will see it!

[@Rajscorpion1982]

@@risky9536 you are right😵

[@TheKarstrasse]

I'm an Engineer and just started playing with pencils over shapes and figures. Leonardo is a genius I must say.

[@emmideric]

I honestly hadn't noticed the smile before. It actually comes and goes

[@playea123]

Whenever people try to argue that Leonardo wasn't the best of all time, I just have to laugh. No one was more innovative and inspired by science and nature in an effort to perfect his craft. He spent so much time learning and observing things that others would consider unrelated to painting in an effort to make his own works both life-like and mysterious. He embodies renaissance genius.

[@yankee2666]

There's no way of categorizing Leonardo other than to say that he was the ultimate anomaly. If you haven't already, read books by a few of his biographers (Freud - Bramly - Gelb), you'll be left wondering what planet he came from.

[@playea123]

@@yankee2666 Many scientists speculate that he had the highest IQ of any human ever. Obviously, it's hard to prove that, but they are deriving that based on his knowledge and understanding of science so many generations before anyone else.

[@savitawankhade3147]

@@yankee2666 ya. People just babble about something which they don't understand. Well it's stupid of us to expect a stupid appreciating something good.

[@Teesleazey]

Fr

[@savitawankhade3147]

@Seth freakin rollins Nobody gives shit about you. There I said It.

[@belgie1356]

finally a vid about mona lisa that really puts its history and not hidden stuff

[@GreatArtExplained]

It’s why I made it - thanks so much for watching!

[@belgie1356]

@@GreatArtExplained no... thank you! you just made me (literally) interested in this and i'm sure i'll get a great score on my online school test tomorrow! thank you!♥️👏

[@dilipsita]

Till now I was wondering what's so special about this painting and with you video I am astonished and amazed of what Leonardo created 500 years back . Thanks a ton for bringing up this video.

[@ophthodoc]

Awesome, takes me back to my art history classes. This painting was a real “nothing” in person - I knew it was the most famous painting in the world but not what I expected.

[@jaketran]

Art class is in session!

[@michaelshelby4181]

Jake u here

[@___vv___6474]

@@michaelshelby4181 MICHAEL u here

[@gadgalleto5906]

albert einstein

[@Enigma19]

I trust jake to be here 😂👊🏾

[@Shrek-pu8uu]

Ok Jake…

[@richardcurrie4038]

I went to Paris a few years ago to see the Leonardo DaVinci exhibition. The Mona Lisa was placed (in my opinion) in a way that did the painting no service whatsoever. Placed in an anonymous over-lit space at an odd height, probably I supposed that the crowds could all see her. She was also placed behind thick perspex that took every sense of the painting away. But despite that I did see this masterpiece, so for that I am thankful. But it was the exhibition that blew me away. The sketches, the studies.. A draped piece of material over a leg. But you could feel every essence of the leg beneath. I consider myself very much a layman in terms of appreciation of art, but for the first time in my life I was breathless seeing this. The glass was only a few centimetres above the drawing, so I could stare, and as much as I could look, I still couldn't fathom how Leonardo created what I was seeing. This video had given me what I missed that day. I real understanding of this masterpiece without all of the usual fanfare that you normally get with these type of videos. Thank you.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks for that great comment Richard, I really appreciate it! It is difficult to appreciate it at the Louvre and all the hoo-ha that surround it - So glad I could help you appreciate a masterpiece. More to come - thanks for watching 🙏

[@deveshthakur338]

What a great comment. 👏

[@SilentKnight43]

This has truly inspired me to stop using grids in photoshop to level my landscape horizons. When asked - I'll simply say Leonardo told me so.

[@curl-E]

I think Leonardo would laugh so hard at how much we over think and come up with crazy things about his painting.

[@NoneofyourBusiness-hy5ln]

It’s not overthinking or “coming up with crazy things” they’re speculations of what he actually did… wtf is wrong with you? 😂

[@ken1midjourney]

lol, true

[@alexeyputin4622]

Not just a smile..... Representation of hard working and patience.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks for watching 🙏

[@catrin1313]

Astonishing ! Informative and lovely to watch.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks!

[@GreatArtExplained]

Hi - I've just put up a video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKGUgXp-otGMe7c) where you can vote for a work you'd like me to make a film of. Please leave your suggestion under that video. Thanks

[@imnub3949]

Idk why im here first comment

[@123vdeo6]

I like titanic painting :)

[@gravellane150]

Poor trait poor trait poor trait...why are you so lovely?

[@surrealheart6391]

I'm amazed.... I'm speechless.... I just.... I can't..... describe what I'm feeling! This is the best! The best detailed and yet so simple explanation of Mona Lisa I ever saw!

[@himashmountain]

This is so clarifying, a true learning experience. Thank you.

[@cynthiajose7787]

Dude you did a phenomenal job. Not just a clear, lucid explanation but your tone and voice modulation totally blended with the "feel" of the painting and this video. You are quite amazing, you know.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Oh thanks Cynthia 🙏

[@gato0082]

Yes, & so many others narrating interesting videos, sometime they spoil the subject, some of them are awful 🙄🤣😬😵he's very good, I agree 💯

[@TheDaddyO44]

I learned more about this painting in 15 minutes than I had in the previous 50 years! Superb, thank you

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks 🙏

[@nas84payne]

Even putting aside all the mythology around it, just by looking at it, it’s so lifelike and has such a mystique.

[@kryptic9056]

Im a part of the human population that do not get these kind of art. But you explained it perfectly. Simple yet detailed. I'm sure you've caused thousands of others, like me, to understand and appreciate this

[@PLuMUK54]

I was lucky enough to see the Mona Lisa towards the end of the day. There were no other tourists, and even the security man stepped out for a while. I was alone with the painting and it was most definitely a "wow" moment.

[@johnvonmartin7501]

Great How much does louvre charge for that closer look??

[@sozeytozey]

As a kid I was amazed by the Mona lisa because it looked realistic and I couldn’t draw anything realistic, therefor I thought it was incredible. As I got older tho I started to think less highly of the painting, it was good, but felt kind of bland. This video rejuvenated my amazement for it

[@TheRealArtDoctor]

Everyone calls him a genius but never mention that he had a reputation of not finishing his projects. There’s a theory that the Mona Lisa doesn’t have Eyebrows because the painting isn’t finished!

[@NikkiC777]

Right she is missing her eyebrows. That is probably the reason. He never finished putting them on. 🤔😳

[@anuragverma7015]

Art is never finished, it's only abandoned.

[@sindead28]

Tho recent researches have shown that the eyebrows did exist but have been effaced by so many ears of cleaning and age.

[@upthereds9734]

@@anuragverma7015 except when it’s finished.

[@DisciplineOrMotivation]

I watched a video on davinci it said that he never finishes his paintings

[@zekelucente9702]

I’ve seen the Mona Lisa and I wish I had this audio in my ear at the time because it is so illuminating.

[@mycatiswaysmarterthanmosto8500]

This was better than the explanation they give when you're at the Louvre looking at her.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Awesome Thanks 🙏 do check out my other videos!

[@ChubbyAmadeusFan]

Thank you for explaining the scientific reason why she smiles when we look at her eyes and smiling less when we look at her lips. The fovea and macula are reason! We can see stars appear brighter in our peripheral vision versus looking at them straight ahead. So amazing that DaVinci knew this long before science figured out the anatomy and function of the human retina.

[@linzianna]

I imagine Leonardo figuring that out for himself by looking at the stars as a child. Even then he was a genius and a gift to the world

[@ken1midjourney]

He was a genius

[@blablup1214]

I can't see the difference ....she smiles as much if I look at the eyes as if I look at the smile itself ...

[@sacrificnseahorse2620]

In college I had to take a Music Appreciation course. I dreaded it and disliked the course of study for many months. Late in the semester we had to attend an Orchestra concert. While there, seated in the front row, “It Clicked” and I gained an incredible appreciation for the conductor. This video, in a smaller sense, did that for this artwork. Very cool. Thanks for sharing!

[@franksantos3418]

Just wanted to say thank you for the history lesson and knowledge. To me it’s like stepping back in time 500 years ago with a woman of that period. It’s like she talks to me without saying a word. Pure genius!

[@melindam2776]

Leonardo and Michelangelo were both geniuses, understood so many different subjects - from mathematics to human biology to architecture to... Painters after them only painted. Nothing else. Noone went so deep, trying to understand the world then those two.

[@edgardovaldez9775]

I loved your comment 🥰

[@johnvonmartin7501]

Without them this world would be in different principles and perspective

[@Ferdinand314]

I saw the Mona Lisa several times before it was put behind 20 feet of bulletproof glass. You could just walk right up to it, get as close as you wanted. It was a little disappointing on first look, so small, so gloomy. But once you walked around the room, got settled in, talked to your friends about what a letdown it was, then looked again, it really started to grow on you. We'd stay in that room for an hour, staring, examining. By the time we left, we got it. The Mona Lisa's an astounding landmark in the history of art, and the history of humanity.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks for watching

[@AlphaCentauri24]

In that long comment you failed to type what exactly is it that you "got" after hours.

[@Ferdinand314]

@@AlphaCentauri24 Mere words are insufficient to express the sorrow I felt upon learning that my comment failed to meet your expectations. I've alerted my customer service department, and approved a full refund of every penny you paid for both my initial reply and this one. Please do phone: [phone]. Everyone else, reread the last sentence of my comment, reproduced here for your convenience. Alpha, don't you bother. People whose reading comprehension is as stunted at yours gain nothing from a second reading. What did I get after all those hours examining and admiring the Mona Lisa? "The Mona Lisa's an astounding landmark in the history of art, and the history of humanity."

[@GreatArtExplained]

@@Ferdinand314 Haha

[@dOVERanalyst]

@@Ferdinand314 Whoa. Nice attempt at a burn for OP. But, the qsn was why was it a landmark? What did you personally, "feel" the second time you looked? You said you got it. But you already knew it is considered a landmark. But, Why? Video creator did a great job explaining HIS "why". You however, set it up, only to disappoint with "I got it". Maybe at times feel chill & grateful that other humans are just genuinely interested in your story.

[@JustinCanose]

"Leonardo knew that our brains would struggle with this conflicting visual information." No, we don't know what he knew. Perhaps he just decided to paint a landscape that didn't connect behind the subjects head.

[@whoswho6641]

Meticulous people who can draw human like eyes dont do happy mistakes, nor they do croocked horizon by accident

[@usuallyblockedforspeakingt2803]

I have a digital image of the highest res of the mona lisa. I always liked it and had interest in the painting because it was da Vinci's . However when the image is enlarged it is simply mind blowing. Not only can you see the detail in the thread in 'her' dress , but even the fibres in each thread are visible. It is utterly amazing !! What a talent he was. I always said on my cloud in eternity he would be sitting next to nikola tesla , ayrton senna, and bob marley

[@Rawlingm]

My teacher when she sees that I drew a horizon that doesn’t connect behind my subject: “absolute garbage, start over!” Da Vinci: 😎

[@GreatArtExplained]

😂

[@barbarapommier5219]

You forgot her eyebrows! Start over!

[@aadeezology9743]

I think the beauty is in the fact there is so much depth in her simplicity.

[@luisg.407]

He painted a broad and made her look lifelike. It was ahead of its time compared to other paintings. That's it. Nothing to overanalyze here.

[@ken1midjourney]

Less is more:)

[@adamc1966]

Best painting ever. Always considered the smile a slight smirk.

[@ladysakura3972]

Thank you for the detailed example to show the art for more people understand why it is the real revolution and genius art from its time until today.

[@alskyd]

Leonardo actually brought three of his paintings with him to France: the “Mona Lisa”, “St John the Baptist” and “the Virgin and child with St Anne”.

[@ikoespinoza3110]

Leonardo Da Vinci is the most intelligent human has ever seen, he invented and patented technology centuries ahead of his time

[@GreatArtExplained]

He was way ahead of his time! Thanks for watching 🙏

[@bartremmelzwaal5775]

Maybe not the most intelligent, but definitely one of the most curious and studious humans out there in written history. Walter Isaacson wrote an amazing biography on this genius, highly recommend it!

[@NAConen]

@@bartremmelzwaal5775 I bet that’s a good read.

[@zecnobot]

He's not finished yet.

[@diffbreak2366]

He was one of the greatest but, sorry, I would rate Einstein and Newton ahead of him. Leonardo levels well with Michelangelo and Beethoven, though, each with their own equivalent masterpieces.

[@KC-xf9wc]

Thank you. I saw the painting years ago at the Louvre and found a new appreciation for it today :) amazing work , amazing dedication

[@ankitamishra9688]

A perfect painting... And result is "The masterpiece".

[@julzmgrforll7278]

Oh my goodness thank you! I had appreciate the Mona Lisa but honestly was always puzzled why people think she is smiling. I was looking at her wrong before and could not see it. Now i see her smile and then not smile. Thank you for teaching me to see something I've looked at a hundred times with a new vision. Wonderful!

[@GreatArtExplained]

That is fantastic that you got a new appreciation for the painting. That’s really my aim. Thanks so much for watching and for the lovely comment!

[@anilbista7445]

Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest mind on human history He was painter scientist inventor and many more Feels almost like he time travelled and stayed in that timeline❤️❤️

[@fatemehhosseini305]

I appreciate your hardwork. You explained the most important technics in such a beautiful way that captivated me for 15 minutes straight. The mystery is not only in what we see in a painting, but in what we can't see and is behind it. Your interpretation of the painting is on point. Leonardo da vinci blended his talent in such a way that is inspirational, giving birth to a lady with deep eyes, representing the magic that is inside human body and it's delicate twists. Your soothing voice completed the package. Thank you.

[@kachyna4571]

some people in my group of class, don’t appreciate learning these. they find being advanced and getting advantages in major subjects so they can get on the top of honors. they need to loosen up a little, theyre taking the study matter to stress. i appreciate learning these. thanks.

[@nightshiftbyommandizon5436]

12:08 Goosebumps. This is so fascinating. Thank you.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks for watching (and commenting)!

[@muhamadsopian4131]

This is so great, i get to know how this incredible painting were made without even have to go to the museum. Also the details and proportion combine with science and art are astonishing and blown my mind away. I have to share this to my friends.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks for sharing - and thanks for watching 🙏

[@madihaaamer4858]

I have seen the Mona Lisa painting from close. It’s definitely worth seeing. True art ❤️

[@jeffersonsantiago5567]

I'm no art student but i enjoy looking at great works of art. So this is really fascinating to learn more about how everything works.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks for watching 🙏 please check out my other videos!

[@adventure_power]

Nothing changed for me. She's smiling every time

[@carlosspct]

I agree. She's smiling with her eyes and lips all the time. That whole explanation seems a little far fetched.

[@GreatArtExplained]

I suggest you look at her in a bigger image and isolate the mouth. Then it is a smirk at best. And it does change if you move back and forth between the eyes and the mouth. I’m not saying she goes from a grumpy face to a cheesy smile but it does change. Having said that, I did a lecture once where I talked about this phenomena, I showed slides and although 90-95% of the audience saw it, some didn’t. Try again with a bigger image, who knows? Thanks for watching 🙏

[@carlosspct]

@@GreatArtExplained I'm a photographer and maybe I'm used to identify facial expressions, who knows. I tried what you suggested but I still see a smile in her eyes and lips, even when they are zoomed in. The smile only disappears when focusing on her right or left eye alone but then it would be hard to recognise facial expressions on most portraits. Anyway, its only an observation. I liked the video very much. Thank you for your kind reply. Please keep making great content like this. Best regards!

[@GreatArtExplained]

@@carlosspct Thanks!

[@ryanvaldes4499]

@@GreatArtExplained There’s a similar phenomena about conformity. Several studies where people actively defending intentionally wrong information. There’s a wonderful episode - KZbin original episode Mind Field on Conformity. Season 1 Episode 2. I agree with the commenter above. I don’t see dual expressions. I think this is more of a perception than objectively true. I’d like more info about this.

[@hectormorales4090]

I really appreciate your approach to explaining art.

[@richardowusuansah8466]

I've been looking for something like this for a long time. I always wondered why this painting and others are so hyped and highly priced. I thought there is something about it, something I didn't know or wasn't seeing. Now I understand. Great piece of art!

[@KARTHIK5555ful]

"...she's the face of the revolution in art!" Goosebumpsssss...

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks for watching 🙏 please check out my other videos!

[@aJay_bEeg]

Im a pencil sketch artist, i know every details in this painting is clean and perfect, it need lot of dedication, time and talent. I earns nothing from Drawings but people's reaction and those happy faces kept me be inspired. This is the reason most of the Artists are still poor . Thank u god for giving me the talent but appreciation never fill my stomach.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Excellent 🙏

[@shalinijha294]

You'll earn very well some day.

[@krishnamadhava974]

Namasthe fellow Kannadiga.. Olledagli nimge

[@aprilyndirectories]

dedicate your paintings to God and it will flow like water in the river...

[@aJay_bEeg]

@@krishnamadhava974 thank u bro

[@kazz_0234]

Seeing the calm peaceful mona lisa with THAT narration was just so nice

[@MrRwithanitch]

Awesome job as always, please keep these videos coming for many years to come, you help make many of us better art lovers, I would look and appreciate art from time to time, but through your videos I’ve now come to actually know, understand and even love the art I’ve seen or heard about over the years. Thank You! 🙏🏽

[@swissalpo2697]

This narrative explanation is so great, that, although I saw Mona Lisa twice, I need to go see her again, and better this time. Thanks a lot for this great art course

[@sdua1995]

Me too need to visit again

[@charbaker]

This series is the most amazingly curated collection of powerfully informative lectures; revealing and emotive.

[@caratarmy26]

Very well explained. This explanation has given me a whole new perspective of looking at the painting and Leonardo as well. Came across this channel after someone's recommendation n I'm glad I did

[@patrickredmond1498]

Genius. What it means to be human. So many lessons to be learned.

[@okaybrandon8021]

The content of this video is a masterpiece itself! I just started drawing, sketching, watercoloring and inking and only after watching this video I really understand the value of sfumato and how smooth are the transitions of values on Mona Lisa face, it's like discovering a treasure which has been under my eyes all the time! Thank you so much!

[@lauracatalini1879]

I LOVE THIS VIDEO. There is everything: science, art, human nature. Plus, it is a great video despite the fact that countless experts have analyzed this pinting before. Leonardo would be proud of this video!

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks so much for the comment 🙏 and thanks for watching!

[@victorcode2075]

"When you apply glaze over both of them..." >Me, an Aussie: Looks like Vegemite.

[@MrAmogill]

Wow that was an amazing watch, Leonardo was an absolute genius! Keep up the good work, making me fall in love with art again!

[@garbogreta8713]

It's almost like another world opened up. Thank you

[@-.-_._--]

That painting is alive manh! That smile comes and goes it's like a gif wtf!

[@joanholland3438]

I’ve seen the Mona Lisa! A moment in Time! ! Simply Divine❤️

[@nmms07]

Absolutely amazing! I love the Mona Lisa. I cant wait until the day I see her beauty in person. Thanks for the video!!

[@izabellaespadas996]

adagio playing in the background gave me pure happiness from my old orchestra days

[@ramyanthony4615]

Over 40 and legit learned more about the Mona Lisa in this video then my entire life preceding it. Look fwd to seeing your breakdowns of other famous works. Thank you

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks 🙏 for watching!

[@user-tm7me1ef9l]

I think the Mona Lisa was the 1st painting I saw when I entered the Louvre in 1978. It was in January, I was standing very close with no crowd around.

[@sahinaakhtar3390]

Now I understand the value of this beautiful art,thanks ❤️

[@DLGemma]

He painted the horizon the same way Greeks built and sculptured the Parthenon. There is not a single straight line in Parthenon yet it appears to be perfectly lined. Every piece is unique and also every measurement taken. Masterpieces connection.

[@katethegoat7507]

The horizon line isn't actually skewed

[@chaitanyasharma6870]

Man i have searched in google many times and still haven't found something more interesting than this video . Amazed

[@GreatArtExplained]

What a nice comment - Thanks 🙏 check out my other videos!

[@user-ru2uq6sz3z]

This sends shivers down my spine. Well explained! Thank you for making this

[@AA-ty8dw]

This amazing explanation brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much.

[@Sewingmachineworkshop2998]

Very informative video. Especially how he explains the thin layer of paint leonardo had applied on the painting.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks for the comment - and thanks for watching!