Today in class, we analyzed Leonardo Da Vinci’s timeless piece known as the “Mona Lisa” in a perspective that I have never seen before.  Honestly, I loved it! Before this class, every time I looked at the Mona Lisa, I only saw her eyes. Now, I pay attention to the background of the painting. I try to make sense of the mysterious scenery and where it might be taking place. While many people in class find the background calm and peaceful, I actually find it violent. I feel as though the ground looks scorched as from a fire. It looks like a warzone. The small stream seems to be leading into the huge sea. Separating the two bodies of water, I see a rough terrain, like a scorched island.  On the left  side of the painting, there are mountains. The mountains have a pathway going through them, maybe a part of the steady stream of water. Overall, it’s a barren, rough terrain. She seems like she’s content with her life. As though there have been some rough times, but now she’s gotten through it all. She appears to be satisfied with her life, but not completely happy. The background is as mysterious as the subject, because nothing is known about either elements. After careful consideration, it also was obvious that the painting is drawn around imperfect ovals. The dullness of her outfit was contrasted by the diverse background.

After going through the “Mona Lisa” in such detail, I began to see art in a different perspective. Basically all of our opinions are correct, they simply express how we feel about the painting based on our understanding of life.

Next we looked at the iconic portrait known as “Night Hawks”. The painting showed a woman and three men. While the third man seemed completely indifferent to what was going on at all in the bar (or so it seemed), the other three figures seemed to be interacting in some way. The man and woman looked like they were a couple. The third man, who seemed like a hard working employee, was just listening and interacting with these frequent customers. The two characters sitting together seemed to be powerful figures in their town, whereas the other man just seemed indifferent. He just blended in with the room itself.