The Mona Lisa

Annie

Reading — Advanced Level
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Activity

Read the article and select the correct answer to the questions below


The Mona Lisa is a portrait of a woman by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, which has been described as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world".

The painting, thought to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, is in oil on a white panel. It is believed to have been painted between 1503 and 1506 in Florence, Italy. It was acquired by King Francis I of France and is now the property of the French Republic, on permanent display at the Louvre Museum in Paris since 1797.

The painting was one of the first portraits to depict the sitter in front of an imaginary landscape, and Leonardo was one of the first painters to use aerial perspective. The subject's expression (more specifically Mona Lisa's smile) is frequently described as enigmatic and has intrigued people for centuries. Over the years, the painting has been stolen, stoned, and damaged with acid, but continues to endure the test of time. Bulletproof glass has protected it from vandals throughout recent years.
  1. What of the following is true about the Mona Lisa?

  2. One of the paintings qualities that draws a lot of attention is  

  3. How is Mona Lisa's smile often described as?

  4. What blemished the painting?

  5. Where is the background of the painting?

Discussion

Practice your writing skills by discussing the questions below

  1. What do you like most about the Mona Lisa painting?

  2. Do you think the painting deserves as much admiration as it receives? Why or why not?

  3. Who is your favorite artist? And your favorite painting?

    Annie

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