BLOG#5- A Hiding Smile in the Shadows

The smile has become a hallmark of Leonardo's style. It is most obvious in the painting of the Mona Lisa, but also to be seen in most of his other works. There is no mistaking the same smile and upturn of the left side of the mouth on the face of St. Anne in the Burlington House Cartoon. That drawing dates from a bit earlier than the Mona Lisa, somewhere around 1498. Speculation exists that the smile originated from his mother, Caterina. A less romantic suggestion is that the painter merely "concerned himself with certain arrangements of lines and volumes, with new and curious schemes of blues and greens."

The truth is that this style of smile was not invented by Leonardo da Vinci. It can be found in a number of sculptures from the fifteenth century, one of these being Antonio Rossellino's Virgin; it is somewhat reminiscent of Greek funerary statues and Gothic statues in medieval cathedrals. The mysterious smile can also be found very widely in the works of Leonardo's master, Verrocchio and Leonardo used the same smile in a number of his paintings.  

A variety of other suggestions have also been made as to the reason behind the smile including the simple idea that during this period in history women were instructed to smile only with one side of their mouths so as to add an air of mystery and elegance. An Italian doctor's answer was that the woman suffered from bruxism, an unconscious habit of grinding the teeth during sleep or times of great stress. The long months of sitting for the portrait could well have triggered an attack of teeth grinding. Another  reason is the dental analysis of the Mona Lisa which is based upon the assumption of Leonardo Da Vinci's accurate portrayal of the features he observed in the subject, concludes that the enigmatic smile is not a smile at all, but rather a solemn expression whose appearance is characteristic of people who have lost their front teeth.

The smile of Mona Lisa in the painting expresses such happiness, in my opinion. But I think, there is something troubling her that we cannot see easily. Its meaning lies in Leonardo’s imagination and ideas, not in some secret skeletal clue buried in a vault. That is why the painting has remained an enigma to art enthusiasts and perhaps the most famous painting in the world. Always remember, art is an idea that has found its perfect visual expression, and design is the vehicle by which this expression is made possible. It is the foundation of all the arts. 

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire. You will what you imagine and you create what you will.” ~ George Bernard Shaw