I just watched a doc that mentioned Paris as the city of the Mona Lisa and wondered what is it that makes that painting so special after all these years. Btw, im in Asia and Ive seen the painting countless times through references. I cant remember the first time I heard/saw the painting but it must’ve been when I was a toddler. How can an image get so famous?
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As a side little interesting titbit to the Mona Lisa.
Henry VIII’s 4th wife, Anne of Cleves, was painted in the image and style of the Mona Lisa.
Henry had sent his court painter, Hans Holbein, over to Germany to paint her as he himself had not actually seen her, and he was worried the painting he had seen of her would not be an accurate representation of her. (For what it’s worth, Henry has sent her a painting of him painted 20 years previously showing him young and lean, as opposed to old, haggard and overweight)
Anyway, Hans was a big admirer of DeVinci and In particular the Mona Lisa. So when he met Anne of Cleves and she sat for his painting. It painted her in the style of Mona Lisa.
Now every English person knows the rest. It’s taught in schools.
Henry loved the girl in the painting, and agreed to marry her. She came over and upon meeting in the flesh, Henry decided she looked nothing like the painting and didn’t wish to go ahead with the marriage, but he’d made too many enemies to pull out now. So after 5 days, he went ahead with it.
However 6 months later he divorced her, saying she was too ugly to consummate the marriage with.
Charming man.
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