Mona Lisa's unique fame
In Pourquoi La Joconde?, Philippe Comar examines the fame of the Mona Lisa and how it paradoxically makes the painting seem invisible. He argues that the painting's status as a masterpiece is connected to the idea that any viewer can never fully see it, which leads to frustration and varied reactions from spectators.Origins of the Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa was not originally intended to become a masterpiece and was only considered as such in the middle of the 19th century. Initially, it was a portrait that followed the style of paintings from half a century earlier in Flanders, noted for the elegance of the pose and the dreamlike background landscape.Mysterious details about the painting
Uncertainties have always surrounded the Mona Lisa, including its creation date and the identity of the model, who is believed to be Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. The painting has no title, inscription, or date and appears to have been created without an order, as Leonardo kept it with him and took it to France. The reasons for this are unknown.Mona Lisa's early years
In 1793, the Mona Lisa was a secondary piece in the Central Museum of Arts, which later became the Louvre Museum. It was not until the beginning of the 19th century that it was placed in the Grande Gallery, then the Carré salon, where it was overshadowed by other masterpieces.Rise of Leonardo's fame
The 19th century brought Leonardo da Vinci into the spotlight after the discovery of his Notebooks, which positioned him as a universal genius. Writers such as Michelet, George Sand, and Théophile Gautier helped increase his notoriety, contributing to the growing fame of the Mona Lisa.Theft that boosted fame
The Mona Lisa gained international attention when it was stolen in 1911 by Vincenzo Perrugia, an Italian worker who had previously been responsible for placing a protective glass panel over it. Perrugia, driven by patriotic pride, believed the painting had been taken by Napoleon's troops and tried to return it to Italy.Return and public reaction
The painting remained missing for nearly three years until an attempt to sell it to the Uffizi Museum led to Perrugia's arrest and the return of the Mona Lisa to the Louvre on December 31, 1913. The public's reaction to the theft was significant, with many gathering at the Louvre to see where the painting had been taken.Impact of the disappearance
Comar suggests that modern art owes much to the disappearance of the Mona Lisa, as it led to a new role for art in emphasizing absence within museums. The "lack to see" of the Mona Lisa inspired a wave of humorous legends, pictorial parodies, and various acts of aggression.Artistic responses to the Mona Lisa
Many 20th-century artists re-figured the Mona Lisa, including Dalí, Dubuffet, Chaissac, Lee Miller, Dorothea Tanning, Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol, who created a screen print titled Thirty Are Better Than One in 1963. Avant-garde provocations include Marcel Duchamp's 1919 painting L.H.O.O.Q., which added mustaches and a goatee to the Mona Lisa.Physical aggressions against the painting
Aggressions against the Mona Lisa include a stoning by a restaurant boy in 1956, a tea cup thrown by a Russian tourist in 2009, and a soup splatter by an environmentalist. Performance artist Deborah Robertis exhibited the painting's genitalia in front of it in 2017.Modern viewing of the Mona Lisa
Despite the large number of visitors to the Louvre, it is clear that the desire to see the Mona Lisa is not about viewing it better or even viewing it at all. A famous photo by Martin Parr shows that the crowd holding cell phones prevents any contemplation of the work.Reproductions and aura
The Mona Lisa is more accessible through its reproductions, and Comar suggests that the more reproductions of a work multiply, the greater its aura grows. The approach to the Mona Lisa is similar to that of an authentic relic, with photos taken serving as proof of being present at the sacredness of the masterpiece.
