Is the Mona Lisa really overrated?

  • Thread starter jackson6612
  • Start date
In summary: Some people actually find it quite beautiful.In summary, paintings are valued based on how popular or 'wanted' they are. Mona Lisa generally speaking wasn't that popular back in the day and it wasn't deemed as one of the more expensive paintings. However, the fame of the painting and of the artist has led to its high price.
  • #36
Pengwuino said:
So what I'm getting from this thread is that art is BS? Got it.

If I was mentally screwed up and urinated on a canvas, I would be an artist? That's basically what this thread is saying. It's not what you do, it's how you feel at the time and who you are. Oh, and some people are just better then other people. Stupid.

Let's stop pretending people like the one who did the crayola drawing are all that different from raving psychotics that express their feelings by randomly punching people out in the streets. The former just used a different medium.

Pollock was a deranged drunk, so that's not an unfair characterization of his work, imo.

but just because a few art dealers have figured out how to swindle money from rich people doesn't mean that all art is BS, just overrated is all.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #37
  • #38
Once I saw an interview with the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the conversation inevitably got around to what makes one work of art better than another.

The director responded that often it is difficult to distinguish good art from bad art and sometimes when he couldn't decide, he would take it home and live with it for a few months. (I never knew directors of art museums had perks like that!) He said that over time he either began to notice flaws in the painting or he began to see more depth and meaning in it and that is the real difference. Unfortunately you don't get that browsing through a museum.
 
  • #39
I like paintings that conjure up a story, like this one by Jack Vettriano:

butler_body_300x255.jpg


http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/festivals/lit_fest/2004/jack_vettriano.shtml
 
  • #40
cronxeh said:
I've been saying it for years. Mona Lisa is kind of ugly, and its not art.

Really? Huh.

No accounting for taste I guess...


Megan+Fox+as+Mona+Lisa.jpg
 
  • #42
No attempt at a smile?
DaveC426913 said:
Megan+Fox+as+Mona+Lisa.jpg
 
  • #43
cronxeh said:
Are you implying that da Vinci was banging this guidette?? Surely she did not come there everyday for 2 years to smile for nothing :biggrin:

I thought Da Vinci took the 'other way'?
 
  • #44
jackson6612 said:
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 would not list them alongside. You can yourself paint the latter but not the former.
 
  • #45
simus said:
You can yourself paint the latter but not the former.
This affirmation only proves that you do not realize how difficult it is to obtain a monochrome.
 
  • #46
Some people place a canvas in front of a fan and throw buckets of paint at it and call it art. Others let chickens walk all over a canvas after wetting their feet in different colors of paint. Still others provide an elephant with a brush and whatever it does is called art. Such paintings sell maybe because of the way they were created or because of the painter's notoriority. Or maybe just by chance the result does seem like good art.


As for Mona Lisa, I think it's fame is based more on who produced it than on it's artistic merit. On the other hand you will find art experts waxing melodic about the Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile and how her eyes seem to follow you around the room something I would probably never notice on a conscious level unless they pointed it out.


So I guess that it can be argued that to appreciate the Mona Lisa one needs to have a certain artistic sophistication and that lack of appreciation of its merits simply shows that deficiency. How much merit that argument has in relation to this painting I don't know.

Suffice to say that I wouldn't hang that painting anywhere in my home regardless of its impressive reputation. Neither would it cause me to stand in front of it in awe.
 
  • #47
manzoni.jpg
 
  • #48
NoFreeSpeech.gif
 
  • #49
If you want to understand the Mona Lisa why don't you go to the library or a book store and pick up a book on art history or Da Vinci or Italian Renaissance art etc.? No offence, but people here don't really seem too knowlegeable about art. The Mona Lisa is famous for very good reasons, not just humbug. I could go to an art forum and start a thread discussing how Galileo is over-rated and wasn't very good; it would be much the same as what is going on here.
 
<h2>1. Is the Mona Lisa really overrated?</h2><p>There is much debate surrounding the fame and value of the Mona Lisa. Some argue that it is overrated due to its popularity and the hype surrounding it. Others argue that it is a masterpiece and rightfully deserves its fame. Ultimately, the answer to this question is subjective and depends on personal opinions and interpretations.</p><h2>2. Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?</h2><p>The Mona Lisa is famous for several reasons. It is a portrait of a mysterious and enigmatic woman, believed to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine merchant. The painting also showcases Leonardo da Vinci's mastery of techniques such as sfumato (blurring of lines) and chiaroscuro (use of light and shadow). Additionally, the painting was stolen in 1911, which garnered even more attention and increased its fame.</p><h2>3. Is the Mona Lisa the best painting in the world?</h2><p>Again, the answer to this question is subjective. While the Mona Lisa is undoubtedly a masterpiece, there are countless other paintings that are also considered the best in the world. It ultimately depends on personal preferences and opinions.</p><h2>4. Why do some people think the Mona Lisa is overrated?</h2><p>Some people believe the Mona Lisa is overrated because they feel that there are other paintings that are just as good or even better, but do not receive the same level of attention and praise. Others argue that the painting's fame is due to clever marketing and hype rather than its actual artistic value.</p><h2>5. Is the Mona Lisa worth the hype?</h2><p>Again, this is a subjective question and depends on personal opinions. Some argue that the painting is worth the hype due to its historical significance and artistic value, while others believe that it is not worth the overwhelming attention and praise it receives.</p>

1. Is the Mona Lisa really overrated?

There is much debate surrounding the fame and value of the Mona Lisa. Some argue that it is overrated due to its popularity and the hype surrounding it. Others argue that it is a masterpiece and rightfully deserves its fame. Ultimately, the answer to this question is subjective and depends on personal opinions and interpretations.

2. Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?

The Mona Lisa is famous for several reasons. It is a portrait of a mysterious and enigmatic woman, believed to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine merchant. The painting also showcases Leonardo da Vinci's mastery of techniques such as sfumato (blurring of lines) and chiaroscuro (use of light and shadow). Additionally, the painting was stolen in 1911, which garnered even more attention and increased its fame.

3. Is the Mona Lisa the best painting in the world?

Again, the answer to this question is subjective. While the Mona Lisa is undoubtedly a masterpiece, there are countless other paintings that are also considered the best in the world. It ultimately depends on personal preferences and opinions.

4. Why do some people think the Mona Lisa is overrated?

Some people believe the Mona Lisa is overrated because they feel that there are other paintings that are just as good or even better, but do not receive the same level of attention and praise. Others argue that the painting's fame is due to clever marketing and hype rather than its actual artistic value.

5. Is the Mona Lisa worth the hype?

Again, this is a subjective question and depends on personal opinions. Some argue that the painting is worth the hype due to its historical significance and artistic value, while others believe that it is not worth the overwhelming attention and praise it receives.

Back
Top