The Mona Lisa
Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Louvre Highlights
Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, known as the Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci
Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, posed for what would become the most famous portrait in the world, wearing a smile that echoes her husband’s name – the Italian word giocondo means ‘happy’. But why is the Mona Lisa considered the ultimate masterpiece? For Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, it was because she wears a ‘mother’s smile’ that reminds us of our infancy. But perhaps it is due to Leonardo’s wonderful ‘sfumato’ technique – multiple thin layers of transparent glaze, creating a misty effect that makes the painting shimmer with life? Or simply because it is a work by the undisputed genius of the Italian Renaissance? Then again, it could be because the Mona Lisa was stolen, then recovered, and made front-page news? Or because the portrait has been copied or referenced so often, by so many artists? The real reason is probably a combination of all the above!
Seeing eye to eye
The video shows Beyoncé and Jay-Z standing in front of the Mona Lisa and looking towards the viewers, just as she does. Part of the painting’s appeal is the way she seems to be looking straight at us – though in fact, research has shown that her gaze is slightly off-centre, which only adds to its power. And inevitably, at the end of the song, the two stars turn around to face her.