Is the Mona Lisa really overrated?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the perceived value and significance of the Mona Lisa, exploring opinions on its artistic merit compared to other artworks. Participants express their personal feelings about the painting, its historical context, and the nature of art appreciation.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express a lack of appreciation for the Mona Lisa, questioning its beauty and significance compared to other artworks.
  • Others suggest that the painting's fame is largely due to its history, the mystery surrounding it, and the cultural narratives that have developed over time.
  • A few participants argue that understanding the artist's intent and the historical context is crucial for appreciating a piece of art, implying that initial impressions may not capture its true value.
  • Some participants highlight the subjective nature of art appreciation, referencing the Latin phrase "De gustibus non est disputandum" to emphasize that tastes cannot be objectively disputed.
  • There are contrasting views on abstract art, with some participants dismissing it as unworthy while others defend its complexity and the importance of understanding the artist's purpose.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express differing opinions on the Mona Lisa, with no consensus on its value or significance. Some appreciate it while others find it overrated or unappealing.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various artworks and their historical significance, indicating that understanding context may influence perceptions of value. There are also discussions about the subjective nature of art and the importance of artist intent, which remain unresolved.

jackson6612
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I have always liked paintings where an idea, concept is conveyed. The good example of this would be http://www.themasterpiececards.com/...itian's Allegory of Prudence-resized-600.JPG".

But I have always failed to appreciate any beauty or anything good at all about paintings like Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci or Black Square by Kazimir Malevich.

What is so good about them? Could you please guide me?
 
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Platonic Forms...check out the smile.
 
I'm kind of a big fan of portraits myself. I think the human face is just as interesting and worthy of artistic representation as scenes.
 
I've been saying it for years. Mona Lisa is kind of ugly, and its not art.
 
Hmm, the Mona Lisa, I've seen it in the Louvre. Hard to miss the crowd in front of it and the security things, in an otherwise rather empty room. Pure objectively, it's a big disappointment. It would be a rather obscure inobstrusive piece, if it wasn't for its history.

Lots of brilliant large colorful paintings around too hardly getting any attention.
 
I think it is well documented and understood why Mona Lisa is widely considered one of the most important masterpieces in the history of painting. You will not obtain here on PF a better discussion than the material you can find in a few minutes browsing. You may however obtain quite a few short statements in the style "yeah, I don't like it either, LOL".
 
Paintings are valued based on how popular or 'wanted' they are. The Mona Lisa generally speaking wasn't that popular back in the day and it wasn't deemed as one of the more expensive paintings. While it was 'famous' it was just among the other famous paintings, prehaps even less so.

However many people started writing about it, famous artists began reproducing their own variations of it, mystery generally surrounds it, the detail is pretty awesome... and that smile... adds to the mystery, the painting was stolen. All this adds up to making the painting pretty famous, hence expensive.

That's all that sets the 100million paiting apart from the $500 painting, the fame of the artist and of the work itself. There are expceptions of course, perhaps a billionaire really wants a painting so he buys it for some extraordinary price.
 
De gustibus non est disputandum. That's latin and means that she stays in the crowded room for the time being.
 
I've always assumed I don't know enough about the historical context to 'get' the Mona Lisa.

(Waring - opinion of a total art noob follows...) But I think if you have to spend too much time explain why the art is important, maybe it's not so important. Sort of like having to explain why a joke is funny.

An example of art that needs no explanation: Michaelangelo's David. You look at David's eyes, he wants soooo bad to kick Goliath's @ss, in his head he's already won the battle. You may not even notice the sling shot on his shoulder. Its inconspicuousness says the battle is fought in the human heart, not with sheer brute force.

OK, maybe you need to know the David and Goliath story to really 'get' David.
 
  • #10
lisab said:
Michaelangelo's David. You look at David's eyes, he wants soooo bad to kick Goliath's @ss, in his head he's already won the battle.

Yeah ok, like you were looking at his eyes :rolleyes:
 
  • #11
Jimmy Snyder said:
De gustibus non est disputandum. That's latin and means that she stays in the crowded room for the time being.

hmmm wouldn't that be something like "is subsisto in populus cella pro vicis res"?
 
  • #12
Jimmy Snyder said:
De gustibus non est disputandum. That's latin and means that she stays in the crowded room for the time being.

It means that peoples tastes can't be objectively disputed.
 
  • #13
jackson6612 said:
I have always liked paintings where an idea, concept is conveyed. The good example of this would be http://www.themasterpiececards.com/...itian's Allegory of Prudence-resized-600.JPG".

But I have always failed to appreciate any beauty or anything good at all about paintings like Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci or Black Square by Kazimir Malevich.

I liked Mona Lisa better and did not find anything good about yours one.


What is so good about them? Could you please guide me?

Mona Lisa is "price of Mona List"/"price of Titian's Allegory of Prudence" better than Titian's Allegory of Prudence.
 
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  • #14
On the topic of art I don't get, here's a good one:

No._5%2C_1948.jpg
 
  • #15
leroyjenkens said:
On the topic of art I don't get, here's a good one:

No._5%2C_1948.jpg

That looks awesome, imagine it on your wall. You're saying you it wouldn't look great there?
 
  • #16
leroyjenkens said:
On the topic of art I don't get, here's a good one:
If you listen to the critics, they'll tell you it's not as bad as it looks.
 
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  • #17
zomgwtf said:
That looks awesome, imagine it on your wall. You're saying you it wouldn't look great there?

You mean wouldn't a child running wild for a few hours with a box of crayolas look great on my wall?
 
  • #18
Pengwuino said:
You mean wouldn't a child running wild for a few hours with a box of crayolas look great on my wall?

For many kinds of art it is very important to read the artist's story or purpose for the art piece. A painting you find initially unimpressive might be seen as a masterpiece once you figure out what the artist was feeling or had in mind. Great art is rarely just about technical ability or first impressions.
 
  • #19
Greg Bernhardt said:
For many kinds of art it is very important to read the artist's story or purpose for the art piece. A painting you find initially unimpressive might be seen as a masterpiece once you figure out what the artist was feeling or had in mind. Great art is rarely just about technical ability or first impressions.

Not only that but this looks far from anything that a wild running child could make with a box of crayons on the wall. If you find one Peng, then kidnap him and send him my way... lots of money to be had.
 
  • #20
Pengwuino said:
You mean wouldn't a child running wild for a few hours with a box of crayolas look great on my wall?

Peng, you said it quite right. Who would call this random network of lines and curves a piece of art?! It somehow reminds me of Google Earth, when you start zooming in.
 
  • #21
Greg Bernhardt said:
For many kinds of art it is very important to read the artist's story or purpose for the art piece. A painting you find initially unimpressive might be seen as a masterpiece once you figure out what the artist was feeling or had in mind. Great art is rarely just about technical ability or first impressions.

Agree completely. You need the whole story. In addition, an understanding of the history of art is useful. Black Box is important because it was a departure from the norm at the time. Art is largely about timeliness, not just timelessness. Malevich was flipping the bird to Socialist Realism.
 
  • #22
jackson6612 said:
Peng, you said it quite right. Who would call this random network of lines and curves a piece of art?! It somehow reminds me of Google Earth, when you start zooming in.

I disagree with both of you (and I have 2 kids under the age of 4 which I let run riot with crayons). The layering of color, texture, movement and flow are important in abstract art. In addition, I believe it has been suggested that the most appealing abstract paintings have a fractal nature.
 
  • #23
Greg Bernhardt said:
For many kinds of art it is very important to read the artist's story or purpose for the art piece. A painting you find initially unimpressive might be seen as a masterpiece once you figure out what the artist was feeling or had in mind. Great art is rarely just about technical ability or first impressions.

Who paints it is also a big factor. If I painted that picture instead of Jackson Pollock, it would be worthless, no matter what my story, purpose, or feelings were.
 
  • #24
Greg Bernhardt said:
For many kinds of art it is very important to read the artist's story or purpose for the art piece. A painting you find initially unimpressive might be seen as a masterpiece once you figure out what the artist was feeling or had in mind. Great art is rarely just about technical ability or first impressions.

I was basically going to bring this up.

WRT to Mona Lisa you have to have an appreciation for Davinci himself.

Davinci is obviously a very famous artist, ML took him two years to complete. One of his major weaknesses as an artist was in painting teeth and mouths - he never felt he could do them very well.

Enter Mona Lisa, he spent two years painting that smile to make it perfect, and it is perfect.

When was the last time you spent TWO YEARS painting a smile? haha

That's why it's important.
 
  • #25
encorp said:
I was basically going to bring this up.

WRT to Mona Lisa you have to have an appreciation for Davinci himself.

Davinci is obviously a very famous artist, ML took him two years to complete. One of his major weaknesses as an artist was in painting teeth and mouths - he never felt he could do them very well.

Enter Mona Lisa, he spent two years painting that smile to make it perfect, and it is perfect.

When was the last time you spent TWO YEARS painting a smile? haha

That's why it's important.

I could easily spend two years painting a smile and it would never, ever be important.
 
  • #26
GeorginaS said:
I could easily spend two years painting a smile and it would never, ever be important.

Right. But you are not Davinci, and you are not historically appreciate for your artistic merit.

Everyone who appreciates Davinci understands how tough the Mona Lisa was for him and how it was a personal accomplishment. And so they celebrated it.

It's like clapping when your kid FINALLY paints a body on a person, instead of drawing the legs right out from the bottom of the head. Hahaha
 
  • #27
a picture is worth a thousand words, but words and any language in that matter is made up of random lines.
 
  • #28
encorp said:
Right. But you are not Davinci, and you are not historically appreciate for your artistic merit.

Apparently it took him four years to complete.

Anyway, I'm going to do more reading.
 
  • #29
The main problem with the many complains I read here is that they have no understanding of what it means to be "art". "Art" is not how well you capture the face of a person you draw. Art is an abstraction. Its meant to represent something by way of a concept or idea, not a physical representation. The latter is called photography. Once you understand this, you can begin to understand art.
 
  • #30
Oh, and I've seen The Mona Lisa live and in person in the Louvre and initially was struck at how small the canvas was. For a painting of its time, it's a very scaled-down work. It was also difficult to see because it's roped off and you have to stand way, way back from it. And! It's behind a thick pane of glass that makes it even harder to see. It's hard to appreciate in person because of the security surrounding it.

It was, nonetheless, gorgeous.