« NetRunner — 'Exercise while working or surfing the net' | Home | Chopsticks Travel Set »
November 07, 2007
Mona Lisa Makeover
Lawrence Van Gelder's "Arts, Briefly" column in the October 23, 2007 New York Times brought the news that once upon a time Da Vinci's iconic figure had eyebrows and eyelashes, unlike her present visage.
Here's the Times report.
- The Mona Lisa’s Digital Makeover
Once upon a time, Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” had eyebrows and lashes. Two fingers on her left hand were in a different position. Her face was wider and more expressive. She held a blanket that is barely visible today. So says the Parisian engineer Pascal Cotte, who maintains that his highly detailed digital scans of this 16th-century portrait of a Florentine merchant’s wife allowed him to burrow through layers of paint to “see” its past, The Associated Press reported. Mr. Cotte, 49, estimated that he had spent 3,000 hours analyzing data from scans he made in the Louvre’s laboratory three years ago. He said his analyses also revealed the painting’s colors as they looked on the easel, before age, varnish and restorations affected them. Although some art historians have expressed skepticism about Mr. Cotte’s findings, he said he hoped his technique could guide restoration work around the world. “To communicate our cultural heritage to our kids, we need to provide the maximum of information,” he said.
The Associated Press story cited above is here.
Much more here on Cotte's website.
More about Cotte's investigations here, along with a video featuring an interview (in French) with him.
November 7, 2007 at 04:01 PM | Permalink
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c5dea53ef00e54f794e458833
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Mona Lisa Makeover:
Comments
Da Vinci's Genius, Optical Illusions
Entry for August 16, 2007,Da Vinci's Genius, Optical Illusions magnify
Da Vinci’s genius - Optical Illusions created within the Mona Lisa using light and shade…
The best of da Vinci’s genius is not his paintings as art. Yes the art is exquisite, world class when viewed as art but what he put within and even more importantly outside the frame of the art is quickly becoming recognized by more and more people world-wide, as the proof of his absolute all time world class genius.
The art techniques he developed were cutting edge, seminal and unique, never before seen brush less masterpieces…. but even these revolutionary techniques and artistic quality pale when compared to the intellectual encryptions the master scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, and yes artist placed within the artworks using even more astonishing techniques, hundreds of years ahead of their time.
One such technique used by Leonardo was the optical illusion, the subtle use of light and shade to give the impression of visually expected objects and effects, while masking a second and to him more important item, message or visually illusive construct. Such is the case in the Mona Lisa.
In the portrait of the Mona Lisa, Leonardo showed a mastery of art technique that was unknown at the time. He created the Sfumato technique that in Italian means vanished or evaporated. With this technique subtle transitions between light and dark are used creating a soft haze. He uses shadow in the lowest areas of the picture, in the background and around the edges to blur detail that draws one to the detailed area of the face. Her face emerges from the shadow areas of her hair and veil and her hands appear from the vague yet detailed folds of the sleeves of her dress. The shadowed areas at the corners of her eyes and mouth are faintly blurred. Looking at the subject one may notice that the right corner of her mouth seems to lift up slightly and the left side her mouth does not. She looks serene and comfortable sitting for Leonardo. The degree to which she looks alive is astonishing. This is the artistic genius of the master…. however….
After a number of years of intensive detailed research by Michael W. Domoretsky and the da Vinci Project ™, contemplating and studying Leonardo's extensive writings in his manuscripts (codices) on light, shade and the theory and perspective of colors, what became clear in early 2005, is that Leonardo, a genius known for alternative methods, appears to have applied his superior scientific understanding to brilliantly disguise the true name of the subject in the Mona Lisa, his most treasured painting. It appears that deftly hidden within the detailed folds of her sleeve, secretly and discreetly painted, is her name, his chosen name for her, “Mary”. The name clearly visible but hidden in plain site by a genius known to be secretive and brilliant in his methods, is a carefully created illusion on her right sleeve.
Under magnification, the word “MARY” emerges from the gathered folds. Within this apparently deliberate optical illusion the name MARY, appears as carefully interrupted flowing script. It may very well be the name Leonardo had in mind for what has become the most famous painting in the world.
It is the interweaving of an optical illusion within the painting, tracing out the name MARY. Using ingenious artistic methods and his unrivaled scientific knowledge of the nature of cause and effect and of light upon subjects that gives us a glimpse into the vast true depth of genius that was and still is Leonardo da Vinci. The true meaning of his hidden messages, some call the da Vinci code, remaining discovered but mostly un-deciphered to this day.
Figure one, for your viewing purpose the tracing of the name” MARY," the optical illusion on the left sleeve facing you of the painting we know and call the "Mona Lisa."
Figure two, larger view cropped and traced of the left sleeve facing you, the name "MARY", emerges.
Figure three, same area cropped, left sleeve facing you not traced, with negative in the lower right area attached, the name "MARY"
Figure Four, same area cropped, negative form of left sleeve facing you, the name "MARY".
From a stylistic standpoint Leonardo introduced the waist up, hands folded in the lap type of portrait. The pose was immediately copied and greatly admired. The pose became fashionable for portraiture by such painters as Raphael and eventually became an accepted standard for the Renaissance portrait.
It is very interesting to note and speculate upon the reason(s) that the Mona Lisa was never delivered to Gioconda family. It remained with Leonardo da Vinci until his death in Ambrose, France in 1519. The painting was his most cherished and protected possession. He loved the portrait so much that he carried it with him on all of his travels throughout Italy and in his later years while conducting studies at the Vatican. He kept the painting with him while he was in Ambrose, France where he spent his twilight years.
Why? Is it because it held meaning beyond the actual artwork, exquisite though it was?
Anything hidden could very well have been construed to be the “work of the Devil” by an overly repressive and dominant Catholic church of the time. Or are there other reasons?
The da Vinci Project ™ is in the process of attempting with painstakingly detailed research and review, to discover all of the hidden images within and “outside the frame”™ in order to formulate a cohesive and comprehensive theory based on facts and proofs that answer many of the questions left by one of the greatest: scientists, mathematicians and yes art masters in all of recorded history, Leonardo da Vinci.
On the left picture, taken from the
original painting called "The Mona Lisa",
by Leonardo da Vinci, is a cropped version of the left sleeve facing you, place mouse over image of the name, underneath this a cropped version in negative form also for your viewing, bottom center of site page.
http://www.lionardofromvinci.com/Reflections.html
Now, also notice the cross bar of the
letter A, the name discovered on the original
painting, found to be the name. "MARY",
perhaps the true name Leonardo intended for her.
http://www.lionardofromvinci.com/Reflections.html
http://www.lionardofromvinci.com/index.html
http://www.lionardofromvinci.com/contact.html
The da Vinci Project
Managing Director, DVP
Michael W. Domoretsky
Director, Graham Noll
1-508-843-9902
Posted by: Michael | Nov 8, 2007 7:01:52 AM
Da Vinci's Secret, The Masonic Symbol
Some of the most significant findings to date are symbolic in nature. We have identified many instances of symbolic constructs being created when the Reverse perpendicular mirror technique is used to view the edges of several of da Vinci’s works.
One of the most important, intriguing and clearly identifiable symbols to have been discovered in Leonardo’s works is that of the Mason’s Symbol. In The Virgin and child with St. Anne and the infant Saint John the Baptist when a reverse perpendicular mirror image is constructed, a clearly discernable Mason’s compass and square is visible as part of the interwoven series of symbols and images that comprise a collage extending from top to bottom of the drawing. The precise meaning of these constructs is still under investigation, however due to the discovery of this very important symbol in several places within Leonardo’s works there is little doubt that da Vinci placed these symbols in the works for very specific reasons. The Mason’s symbol in the Virgin and child with Saint Anne and the infant St. John the Baptist is the single most visible constructed element in the drawing and it is interwoven with a short stem goblet.
The compass and square, and the organization for which they stand, are universal in nature, crossing lines of heritage, race, national borders and time. It has always been a contention on the part of the Masons that Leonardo was one of their own. However, with no real documented proof it has been just that, a contention and no more. da Vinci was a master builder and architect so the discovery of encrypted masons symbols within da Vinci’s works is likely to bolster the claim by the Free Masons that da Vinci was indeed a mason. In fact it is likely that he may well have been the grand Mason, and leader of all masons of his time. There is no absolute proof but his use of the symbol in repetition may end up being as close to absolute proof as any one will ever get.
Posted by: Michael | Nov 8, 2007 6:59:58 AM
When you go to the website and click on "synopsis" you can see the full image of the "restored" version. It's truly amazing. She looks so young! I wish I had $6000 dollars to buy one.....
Posted by: tamra | Nov 8, 2007 1:50:47 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
