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Mona Lisa: The History of the World’s Most Famous Painting
A narrative history of how Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Mona Lisa came to be the most famous in the world – and one of the most powerful cultural icons of our time. 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? For nearly 500 years the painting – and the mysterious smile on the face of the sitter – has been a source of mystery, speculation and reverence. In this groundbreaking new book Donald Sassoon describes not only the Mona Lisa and its history, but its mythology, and the processes which combined to raise it to its current unrivalled level of fame. He examines Leonardo’s innovative techniques; the problems concerning the identity of the sitter; what happened to the painting after it left Italy when Leonardo joined King François I’s court in France; the copies made in the 17th century; its celebration by 19th-century intellectuals; its theft and disappearance early in the 20th century; the surrealists’, other avant-garde artists’ and cartoonists’ uses of it; its appropriation by the advertising industry; and the never-ending flood of new and ‘conclusive’ theories about Mona Lisa’s smile.
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First published January 1, 2001
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About the author
Donald Sassoon
31 books22 followersDonald Sassoon is Emeritus Professor of Comparative European History at Queen Mary, University of London.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 8, 2018
In this comprehensively researched microhistory, the author explores the history of the Mona Lisa/ La Gioconda with a view to taking on the one big question about the painting: Why is it the most famous painting in the world? First the author unravels for us the evidence that it is, in fact the most famous but then we go on to examine why. It is a pretty big question because almost everyone who sees it for the first time doesn't get it. It is a small dark painting, showing a woman who was never famous, is certainly not beautiful by modern standards and was not exceptional in her time either, it was painted by a well known but certainly not prolific Renaissance artist, Leonardo da Vinci.
The story of how she became so well known, starting with da Vinci spending his later life in France as part of the court of King Francois I, the France revolution and the creation of the Louvre, the various authors and intellectuals who created the myth and the critics and pop culture which cemented it is into a worldwide phenomena is unraveled for us. I found the slow development of the mystique of Mona Lisa (chapter five; Mona Lisa becomes mysterious) exceptionally fascinating because it goes into a lot of literature sources that I would never have heard of otherwise. Now I would like to track some of them down and read them. Honestly, I suspect the author must have read or reviewed every single thing ever written about the painting to make this section so comprehensive.
The descriptions of the 'cult of Leonard' phenomena are also very interesting. As I said above, ALMOST everyone who sees the painting for the first time does not get it. The minority however, it seems, fall instantaneously deeply in love and often in a less than stable way. Fascinating.
A description of the theft of the Mona Lisa and it's recovery, also went toward making it a household image and then the few, exceptionally well publicised and protected, times she has traveled overseas to be exhibited (and by now, the painting is no longer 'it' but rather 'she')
It is quite fascinating, the colour plates were well chosen and perfectly integrated with the text (which is one full star all on it's own, after reading several that were less beautifully integrated), and I am delighted that I came across it and had time to read it.
But
Not easy to read unfortunately, it took me ages to get through and I wouldn't recommend it to slow readers unless they can use it as a source book or are truly fascinated by the points being addressed.
One issue I had, is that of all the literature that gets reviewed to describe 'her' rise to fame, unsurprisingly, much of it is in French. Mona Lisa is a French citizen after all and French was in any case back in the 1800's plus minus a hundred years, a language used by European intellectuals. These days English is more common, I can read a tiny bit of French, some Latin and could make my way through SOME of the references. Others are translated, but not all of them and it slows down the reading (for me) considerably.
The early chapters of the book, setting the scene, describing the history ect, read like a scholarly work - and it is, formidable research! At times it reads like a text book though, which is also not easy to read for pleasure and I will admit to putting the book down for a couple of days in order to refresh my mental palate with a space opera book. If you have ever read academic thesis' you might find the style of the early chapters similar, they are laborious (probably to write, certainly to read) and are clearly occupied in using the smallest and most relevant of examples to demonstrate the points being made. While the topic in a thesis can be fascinating, as the topic in this book is, it can be difficult to read.
The last couple of chapters were much more fun to read. Having set up his points, the author seems to feel free to let more humour, Irony and cynicism into the text, it becomes more personalised and the writing 'voice' easier to relate to. While most of the book was not over three stars the final chapters took it up to four, Lisa becoming 'pop' and going global were far easier to read than the majority of the text.
This is the final Art book I have read for my 2017 art challenge, it was a good one to finish on.
The story of how she became so well known, starting with da Vinci spending his later life in France as part of the court of King Francois I, the France revolution and the creation of the Louvre, the various authors and intellectuals who created the myth and the critics and pop culture which cemented it is into a worldwide phenomena is unraveled for us. I found the slow development of the mystique of Mona Lisa (chapter five; Mona Lisa becomes mysterious) exceptionally fascinating because it goes into a lot of literature sources that I would never have heard of otherwise. Now I would like to track some of them down and read them. Honestly, I suspect the author must have read or reviewed every single thing ever written about the painting to make this section so comprehensive.
The descriptions of the 'cult of Leonard' phenomena are also very interesting. As I said above, ALMOST everyone who sees the painting for the first time does not get it. The minority however, it seems, fall instantaneously deeply in love and often in a less than stable way. Fascinating.
A description of the theft of the Mona Lisa and it's recovery, also went toward making it a household image and then the few, exceptionally well publicised and protected, times she has traveled overseas to be exhibited (and by now, the painting is no longer 'it' but rather 'she')
It is quite fascinating, the colour plates were well chosen and perfectly integrated with the text (which is one full star all on it's own, after reading several that were less beautifully integrated), and I am delighted that I came across it and had time to read it.
But
Not easy to read unfortunately, it took me ages to get through and I wouldn't recommend it to slow readers unless they can use it as a source book or are truly fascinated by the points being addressed.
One issue I had, is that of all the literature that gets reviewed to describe 'her' rise to fame, unsurprisingly, much of it is in French. Mona Lisa is a French citizen after all and French was in any case back in the 1800's plus minus a hundred years, a language used by European intellectuals. These days English is more common, I can read a tiny bit of French, some Latin and could make my way through SOME of the references. Others are translated, but not all of them and it slows down the reading (for me) considerably.
The early chapters of the book, setting the scene, describing the history ect, read like a scholarly work - and it is, formidable research! At times it reads like a text book though, which is also not easy to read for pleasure and I will admit to putting the book down for a couple of days in order to refresh my mental palate with a space opera book. If you have ever read academic thesis' you might find the style of the early chapters similar, they are laborious (probably to write, certainly to read) and are clearly occupied in using the smallest and most relevant of examples to demonstrate the points being made. While the topic in a thesis can be fascinating, as the topic in this book is, it can be difficult to read.
The last couple of chapters were much more fun to read. Having set up his points, the author seems to feel free to let more humour, Irony and cynicism into the text, it becomes more personalised and the writing 'voice' easier to relate to. While most of the book was not over three stars the final chapters took it up to four, Lisa becoming 'pop' and going global were far easier to read than the majority of the text.
This is the final Art book I have read for my 2017 art challenge, it was a good one to finish on.
February 3, 2025
A disappointing read for me. Got a bit too academic and went into tiny details about the art world in the 16th and 17th century. There is a lot of chatter about how European intellectuals and writers wrote about the painting. I thought it would be a more thorough investigation about how people from different parts of the world were able to relate to the painting and have some more stories about the creation of the painting. There were some interesting stories like Napoleon keeping the painting in his bedroom for 4 years and a museum worker robbing the painting and keeping it in his house for a year. Pushed through this book and had to skip several pages along the way.
May 23, 2022
Sassoon's book is informative but is not edited well. Spends many pages on the 'femme fatale' theme and not enough on the painting's origins, in my opinion.
Some of the critical turning points of the painting's history get lost in the swamp of endless examples. This reference by that author, or this hommage by another artist, are not as important as the overarching attitudes and nuanced ways that the painting influenced the course of western art.
I learned a lot, but it was less enjoyable than it could have been.
Some of the critical turning points of the painting's history get lost in the swamp of endless examples. This reference by that author, or this hommage by another artist, are not as important as the overarching attitudes and nuanced ways that the painting influenced the course of western art.
I learned a lot, but it was less enjoyable than it could have been.
December 6, 2019
A fascinating topic, some good ideas, lots of interesting information and well-structured, but just too much detail.
Enough to know that many novels included Mona Lisa in some way, but unnecessary to summarise all their plots.
Enough to know that many novels included Mona Lisa in some way, but unnecessary to summarise all their plots.
January 17, 2013
A fascinating insite into the history of the Mona Lisa and a look at the mind of Leonardo Da Vinci.
The author attempts to answer the enigmatic queston of who Mona Lisa was?
Was she Lisa Gheridini a sixteenth century woman? or was she the self portrait of Leornardo? Or as some have suggested perhaps she is neither. Maybe she is androgynous half man and half woman. Maybe she is the mouth of a woman but the eyes of Leonardo himself? Perhaps she is a sixteenth centuary woman with many medical problems as explained by drs who say she is cross eyed and dentists who say she has swollen glands which suggest bad dental problems. Or maybe the smile is that of a woman with a secret. Maybe Lisa was just arrogant or perhaps she was bored. 500 years later Mona Lisa is still a mystery to be solved.
Why has the Mona Lisa become so internationally renowned when Leonardo was only a second rate artist in the sixteenth centuary when compared with his peers Michelanglo and Raphael. Leonardo was well known for never finishing anything he started. So what made this painting so special?
Many have made the epic journey to the Lourve just to view the Mona Lisa and many have done insane things in her name. From the farmer who sold his business to work at the Lourve as a security guard and begged not to be paid because it was such an honour to be the first every morning to view her before the public.
Why has everything from stationary to household goods been made with her face on it. Mona Lisa has even been painted on fingernails and large masterpeice of her was created out of manure. She has been drawn with a moustache, she has been drawn in pregnancy she has been drawn with a joint in her mouth and she has even been drawn masturbating. When you think their is no other way for her to be depicted someone will always find another way.
She was so popular that in the early 1900s she was stolen from the Lourve for 9 months before she returned. Upon her return she was sold on the lid of a cake tin in prenancy to signify the 9 months she was missing.
Many reasons have been given for her popularity but at the end of the day the reader must decide for themselves who they think she was and what their interpretation of her is.
The author attempts to answer the enigmatic queston of who Mona Lisa was?
Was she Lisa Gheridini a sixteenth century woman? or was she the self portrait of Leornardo? Or as some have suggested perhaps she is neither. Maybe she is androgynous half man and half woman. Maybe she is the mouth of a woman but the eyes of Leonardo himself? Perhaps she is a sixteenth centuary woman with many medical problems as explained by drs who say she is cross eyed and dentists who say she has swollen glands which suggest bad dental problems. Or maybe the smile is that of a woman with a secret. Maybe Lisa was just arrogant or perhaps she was bored. 500 years later Mona Lisa is still a mystery to be solved.
Why has the Mona Lisa become so internationally renowned when Leonardo was only a second rate artist in the sixteenth centuary when compared with his peers Michelanglo and Raphael. Leonardo was well known for never finishing anything he started. So what made this painting so special?
Many have made the epic journey to the Lourve just to view the Mona Lisa and many have done insane things in her name. From the farmer who sold his business to work at the Lourve as a security guard and begged not to be paid because it was such an honour to be the first every morning to view her before the public.
Why has everything from stationary to household goods been made with her face on it. Mona Lisa has even been painted on fingernails and large masterpeice of her was created out of manure. She has been drawn with a moustache, she has been drawn in pregnancy she has been drawn with a joint in her mouth and she has even been drawn masturbating. When you think their is no other way for her to be depicted someone will always find another way.
She was so popular that in the early 1900s she was stolen from the Lourve for 9 months before she returned. Upon her return she was sold on the lid of a cake tin in prenancy to signify the 9 months she was missing.
Many reasons have been given for her popularity but at the end of the day the reader must decide for themselves who they think she was and what their interpretation of her is.
March 31, 2013
"Mona Lisa" on julkaistu 2001, joten siihen ei ole sekaantunut millään tavoin Leonardo da Vincin (ja etenkin hänen maalauksensa "Viimeinen ehtoollinen") Dan Brownin "Da Vinci-koodi"-romaanin myötä saatu maine. Vaikka viihdyttävänä romaanina Brownin kirja upposikin minuun kuin kuuma veitsi voihin, oli suorastaan helpottavaa ettei Sassoon joutunut tekemään tiliä tai ampumaan alas väitteitä, jotka on Leonardoon liitetty tämän bestsellerin myötä. Taiteilijan mahdollinen homoseksuaalisuus tuotiin esille, mutta vain lyhyesti.
Muuten pidin tavattomasti Sassoonin tavasta käsitellä Leonardo-kulttia kiihottomasti ja asettaen hänen saavutuksensa oikeisiin mittasuhteisiin. Kohdetta ei näin ollen alenneta tai vähätellä, mutta järkevästi perustellen tuodaan esille ettei hän ollut niin uskomaton nero kuin ihailijat ovat antaneet ymmärtää. Kaikesta työstään huolimatta hän ei koskaan saavuttanut suurta tieteellistä läpimurtoa. Leonardo "aloitti monia asioita saattamatta niitä koskaan päätökseen".
Tämä ei pienennä hänen saavutustaan maailman tunnetuimman taideteoksen luojana. Se vain tuo todellista henkilöä kulttimaineensa takaa lähemmäksi.
Läpi koko kirjan minua vaivasi seikka, etten ole erityisen kiinnostunut taidehistoriasta. Mielenkiinnon lähes totaalisen puuttumisen vuoksi jaksoin lukea kirjan loppuun ainoastaan, koska se kuului TBR-kirjahaasteeseen. Kirja on varmasti mieleinen jollekin taiteesta ja taidehistoriasta enemmän kiinnostuneelle.
Muuten pidin tavattomasti Sassoonin tavasta käsitellä Leonardo-kulttia kiihottomasti ja asettaen hänen saavutuksensa oikeisiin mittasuhteisiin. Kohdetta ei näin ollen alenneta tai vähätellä, mutta järkevästi perustellen tuodaan esille ettei hän ollut niin uskomaton nero kuin ihailijat ovat antaneet ymmärtää. Kaikesta työstään huolimatta hän ei koskaan saavuttanut suurta tieteellistä läpimurtoa. Leonardo "aloitti monia asioita saattamatta niitä koskaan päätökseen".
Tämä ei pienennä hänen saavutustaan maailman tunnetuimman taideteoksen luojana. Se vain tuo todellista henkilöä kulttimaineensa takaa lähemmäksi.
Läpi koko kirjan minua vaivasi seikka, etten ole erityisen kiinnostunut taidehistoriasta. Mielenkiinnon lähes totaalisen puuttumisen vuoksi jaksoin lukea kirjan loppuun ainoastaan, koska se kuului TBR-kirjahaasteeseen. Kirja on varmasti mieleinen jollekin taiteesta ja taidehistoriasta enemmän kiinnostuneelle.
Read
March 5, 2011A very interesting read actually. I don't know how much I believe from this book, but I found the book intriguing, informative, and described the painting lovingly and very detailed. I also think so much new "facts" about this book come up constantly that I wonder how much is still relevant or "true" and what has been altered with new facts that have been found. How can a person ever truely know a painting or any history. Everything always ends up hearsay even if you hear an author/ painter etc actually say something about a work often even they aren't 100 percent sure. I see art especially as something from god, hardly ever do true meanings come from the head or attempts of the creator but instead delivered through them.
June 12, 2016
গল্পের বই ভেবে কিনেছিলাম। পড়ে দেখি ইতিহাসের কপচানি। আমার জীবনে এত কষ্ট করে আজ পর্যন্ত কোন বই পড়ি নি।
আপনি যদি শিল্প সমালোচক হোন, তাহলে ঠিক আছে। গল্পের পাঠকদের এই বই খুব বেশী ভালো লাগবে না।
আপনি যদি শিল্প সমালোচক হোন, তাহলে ঠিক আছে। গল্পের পাঠকদের এই বই খুব বেশী ভালো লাগবে না।
Read
January 23, 2018An interesting read, focussing on how and why the Mona Lisa became the icon it has.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews