Genres of Paintings Painting Genres    

Lesson 17: Portrait - Mona Lisa

by Leonardo da Vinci

Directions

Study the artwork for one week.

Over the week:

• Examine the artwork.
• Read the synopsis.
• Study the vocabulary words.
• Recite the artist and artwork names.
• Read about the artwork's genre.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

Italian artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci's portrait, 'Mona Lisa,' is one of the most famous and valuable paintings in the world. Mona Lisa is thought to be a portrait of a real woman named Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a Florentine silk merchant. The Italian word 'mona' is similar in meaning to 'madam' or 'my lady' in English. In the painting, Mona Lisa sits in a chair with her arms folded. Behind her is an imaginary far off landscape of paths, a bridge, and snowy mountains. It is Mona Lisa's mysterious expression that captivates viewers. In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre museum in Paris before it was recovered two years later. The Italian thief, a Louvre employee, who kept the painting in his apartment for two years before he sold it to museum in Italy, later claimed his motive was to repatriate the painting to Italy, although money may have been the true motivating factor. Although the painting was created in the early 1500s, it was only after the theft that the painting became famous outside the art world. Vandals also sprayed the painting with acid and threw a rock at it in the 1950s. The painting was later put behind bulletproof glass to protect it.

Vocabulary

Portrait: A painting, drawing, photograph, or engraving of a person, especially one depicting only the face or head and shoulders.
Mona: Italian word for the English 'madam' or 'my lady.'
Florentine: Relating to the city of Florence, Italy.
Louvre: A museum in Paris, France.
Metro (Paris): A subway in Paris, France.
Repatriate: Return something or someone back to their country of origin.
Bulletproof: Designed to resist the penetration of bullets.
Commission: Give an order for or authorize the production of (something such as a building, piece of equipment, or work of art).

Concepts

1. Portrait paintings typically feature a single human as the primary subject.
2. Portraits are often commissioned by the person being painted or their family.
3. Portraits are historically been painted for the rich and powerful, who could afford to pay for their paintings. Today, portraits may also be commissioned by those in the middle class.
4. The goal of the portrait is usually not to accurately represent reality and the subject's flaws, but rather to produce a flattering likeness of the subject.
5. Select types of portraits include, 1) Full-length, 2) Half-length, 3) Bust, 4) Profile, 5) Full-face, and 6) Three-quarters view.
6. See below examples of six common types of portraits: 1) Jacques-Louis David's 'Madame Récamier' (Full-length, Three-quarters), 2) Velázquez's 'Pope Innocent X' (Half-length, Three-quarters), 3) Mary Cassatt's 'Portrait of Madame Sisley' (Bust, Profile), and 4) 'Charles I in Three Positions' by Sir Anthony van Dyck (Half-Length with Profile, Full-face, and Three-quarters).

Enrichment

Activity 1: Can You Find It?

Zoom in to find the following in the artwork:

• Chair
• Crossed Arms
• Curved Mouth
• Corners of the Eyes
• Mountains
• Road
• Bridge

Activity 2: Narrate the Artwork

• After studying the artwork, narrate the scene shown aloud using your own words.

Activity 3: Visit the Mona Lisa

Imagine taking a trip to visit the Mona Lisa in the Louvre museum.

• First, hop on the blazingly-fast Concord airplane and fly to Paris, France.

• Next, stop by the Eiffel tower and take the Metro to the Louvre museum. Note its famous glass and metal pyramid.

• Finally, enter the Louvre museum and navigate the crowd to see the Mona Lisa through the bulletproof glass.

Activity 4: Map the Artist

Zoom in on the map of Europe to find Italy, the country of the artist, Leonardo da Vinci.

Activity 5: Color Italy on the World Map   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 37 of 'Third Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Activity 6: Color the Artwork   

• Click the crayon above and complete page 38 of 'Third Grade Art History Coloring Book.'

Review

Question 1

Who are the characters in the artwork?

1 / 6

Answer 1

The character in the artwork is Mona Lisa.

1 / 6

Question 2

What is the setting of the artwork?

2 / 6

Answer 2

The setting is most likely indoors and includes an imaginary aerial view of a road, bridge, and mountains.

2 / 6

Question 3

What expression does Mona Lisa wear?

3 / 6

Answer 3

Mona Lisa wears a mysterious expression that contains a hint of a smile around the eyes and mouth.

3 / 6

Question 4

Describe the background of the painting?

4 / 6

Answer 4

The background of the painting offers a far-off view of a road, bridge, and mountains.

4 / 6

Question 5

Into which genre is this painting classified?

5 / 6

Answer 5

This painting falls into the portrait genre.

5 / 6

Question 6

Is the portrait best described as a full-length, half-length, bust, profile, full-face, and/or three-quarters view?

6 / 6

Answer 6

This painting is best described as a half-length portrait with a full-face view.

6 / 6

❮ ❯

1. Who are the characters in the artwork? The character in the artwork is Mona Lisa.
2. What is the setting of the artwork? The setting is most likely indoors and includes an imaginary aerial view of a road, bridge, and mountains.
3. What expression does Mona Lisa wear? Mona Lisa wears a mysterious expression that contains a hint of a smile around the eyes and mouth.
4. Describe the background of the painting? The background of the painting offers a far-off view of a road, bridge, and mountains.
5. Into which genre is this painting classified? This painting falls into the portrait genre.
6. Is the portrait best described as a full-length, half-length, bust, profile, full-face, and/or three-quarters view? This painting is best described as a half-length portrait with a full-face view.

References

'Mona Lisa.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Portrait painting.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.

'Portrait.' Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. n.p.