Becoming Mona Lisa

Becoming Mona Lisa
Author: Donald Sassoon
Publisher: Mariner Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2003
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9780156027113

The "Mona Lisa" is widely recognized as the most famous painting in the history of art--and an undeniable icon of pop culture. Her celebrated face is used to sell everything from champagne to automobiles, and appears on ashtrays, mouse pads, and refrigerator magnets. More than any other art object, the "Mona Lisa "demonstrates that something can be high art and pop, classic and cool. Likewise, Donald Sassoon's elegant narrative is as much the story of one painting's ascendance to the status of global icon as it is the popularization of serious and distinguished art. A professor and acclaimed writer, Sassoon provides a fascinating account of Leonardo da Vinci, the Renaissance genius who created the picture; who the mysterious subject was; why it gained its unrivalled position in the art world; and how it has come to be used and abused by other artists and the international advertising industry. Lavishly illustrated, "Becoming Mona Lisa" is at once social, cultural, and art history of the highest order.

Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa
Author: Donald Sassoon
Publisher:
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2001
Genre: Art
ISBN:

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?

Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa
Author: Serge Bramly
Publisher:
Total Pages: 79
Release: 1996
Genre: Art, Renaissance
ISBN: 9780500237175

The woman in Leonardo da Vinci's work gazes out from the canvas with a quiet serenity. But what lies behind the famous smile? Shrouded in mystery, the Mona Lisa has attracted more speculation and questioning than any other work of art ever created. This work provides an aide memoire of the world's most famous painting. The full-page colour plates portray the Mona Lisa in close-up photographs, while Serge Bramly, the author, explores its shadowy history and the fascination the painting has engendered.

Mona Lisa

Mona Lisa
Author: Dianne Hales
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2014-08-05
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1451658966

The book rests on the premise that the woman in the painting "Mona Lisa" is indeed the person identified in its earliest description: Lisa Gherardini (1479-1542), wife of the Florence merchant Francesco del Giocondo. Dianne Hales has followed facts from the Florence State Archives, to the squalid street where Mona Lisa was born, to the ruins of the convent where she died

Leonardo and the Mona Lisa Story

Leonardo and the Mona Lisa Story
Author: Donald Sassoon
Publisher:
Total Pages: 349
Release: 2006
Genre: Art and popular culture
ISBN: 9781741149029

Revealed in more than four hundred paintings, photographs and illustrations this is an intimate look at the history of the world's most famous painting and the genius who created it.

ArtCurious

ArtCurious
Author: Jennifer Dasal
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2020-09-15
Genre: Art
ISBN: 0143134590

A wildly entertaining and surprisingly educational dive into art history as you've never seen it before, from the host of the beloved ArtCurious podcast We're all familiar with the works of Claude Monet, thanks in no small part to the ubiquitous reproductions of his water lilies on umbrellas, handbags, scarves, and dorm-room posters. But did you also know that Monet and his cohort were trailblazing rebels whose works were originally deemed unbelievably ugly and vulgar? And while you probably know the tale of Vincent van Gogh's suicide, you may not be aware that there's pretty compelling evidence that the artist didn't die by his own hand but was accidentally killed--or even murdered. Or how about the fact that one of Andy Warhol's most enduring legacies involves Caroline Kennedy's moldy birthday cake and a collection of toenail clippings? ArtCurious is a colorful look at the world of art history, revealing some of the strangest, funniest, and most fascinating stories behind the world's great artists and masterpieces. Through these and other incredible, weird, and wonderful tales, ArtCurious presents an engaging look at why art history is, and continues to be, a riveting and relevant world to explore.

Mona Lisa Reimagined

Mona Lisa Reimagined
Author: Erik Maell
Publisher: Goff Books
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2015-04
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9781939621269

Over eight million people from all over the world flock to the Louvre every year for the opportunity to gaze upon Leonardo da Vinci's beguiling Renaissance masterpiece, "La Gioconda", more popularly known as "Mona Lisa". What is it about this iconic portrait that continues to mesmerize century after century? For centuries civilizations have exhaustively attempted to examine all facets of the famous artwork's creation, influence, mythology, heritage, and mystique. But perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of Mona Lisa's enduring legacy is the frequency with which this painting has been reinterpreted, parodied, appropriated, and imitated by other artists. No other painting in history has been reproduced as often as Mona Lisa, and yet there has never before been published a comprehensive collection of Mona Lisa recreations. This oversight has finally been remedied with "MONA LISA REIMAGINED", a lavishly illustrated and captivating anthology of hundreds of pieces of art that have been inspired by this priceless world treasure. Featuring both established and emerging artists from over fifty different countries, this book is destined to become an essential addition to any bookshelf, coffee table, or library.

Math and the Mona Lisa

Math and the Mona Lisa
Author: Bulent Atalay
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2011-09-20
Genre: Art
ISBN: 1588343537

Leonardo da Vinci was one of history's true geniuses, equally brilliant as an artist, scientist, and mathematician. Readers of The Da Vinci Code were given a glimpse of the mysterious connections between math, science, and Leonardo's art. Math and the Mona Lisa picks up where The Da Vinci Code left off, illuminating Leonardo's life and work to uncover connections that, until now, have been known only to scholars. Bülent Atalay, a distinguished scientist and artist, examines the science and mathematics that underlie Leonardo's work, paying special attention to the proportions, patterns, shapes, and symmetries that scientists and mathematicians have also identified in nature. Following Leonardo's own unique model, Atalay searches for the internal dynamics of art and science, revealing to us the deep unity of the two cultures. He provides a broad overview of the development of science from the dawn of civilization to today's quantum mechanics. From this base of information, Atalay offers a fascinating view into Leonardo's restless intellect and modus operandi, allowing us to see the source of his ideas and to appreciate his art from a new perspective.

The Last Mona Lisa

The Last Mona Lisa
Author: Jonathan Santlofer
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 324
Release: 2021-08-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1728240778

ONE OF PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER! "Unstoppable what-happens-next momentum."—Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author "A deliciously tense read."—Ruth Ware, #1 New York Times bestselling author From award-winning crime writer and celebrated artist Jonathan Santlofer comes an enthralling tale about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, the forgeries that appeared in its wake, and the present-day underbelly of the art world. August, 1911: The Mona Lisa is stolen by Vincent Peruggia. Exactly what happens in the two years before its recovery is a mystery. Many replicas of the Mona Lisa exist, and more than one historian has wondered if the painting now returned to the Louvre is a fake, switched in 1911. Present day: Art professor Luke Perrone digs for the truth behind his most famous ancestor: Peruggia. His search attracts an Interpol detective with something to prove and an unfamiliar but curiously helpful woman. Soon, Luke tumbles deep into the world of art and forgery, a land of obsession and danger. The Last Mona Lisa is a suspenseful and seductive tale, perfect for fans of the Netflix documentaries This Is A Robbery and Made You Look and readers obsessed with the world of art heists and forgeries.

Who Stole Mona Lisa?

Who Stole Mona Lisa?
Author: Ruthie Knapp
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 42
Release: 2011
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1408811588

The famous painting, Mona Lisa, describes how she was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, taken to France, hung in the Louvre Museum, was stolen and then recovered. Suggested level: junior, primary.