Ceaselessly flocked by tourists at the Louvre Museum in Paris, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (1503-17) is perhaps the world’s most recognisable work of art. Yet, when you consider that the painting is a small and rather innocuous portrait of a silk-merchant’s wife, it’s easy to wonder – why is that, exactly? In this instalment of his YouTube series Great Art Explained, the UK curator, gallerist and video essayist James Payne argues that the famed depiction of a lady with wandering eyes and a slight smile isn’t just an inescapable cultural meme, but a bonafide masterpiece as well. Exploring the history, mastery and mystery behind the work, Payne provides a straightforward and comprehensive analysis of why, five centuries later, the Mona Lisa still matters.
Video by Great Art Explained
video
Architecture
West Africa was once an architectural laboratory. Is it time for a revival?
12 minutes
video
Biography and memoir
The unique life philosophy of Abdi, born in Somalia, living in the Netherlands
29 minutes
video
Art
‘If you’re creative, why can’t you create a solution?’ One artist’s imaginative activism
17 minutes
video
Ethics
For Iris Murdoch, selfishness is a fault that can be solved by reframing the world
6 minutes
video
Death
A hunter’s lyrical reflection on the humbling business of being mortal
6 minutes
video
Love and friendship
After his son’s terrorist attack, Azdyne seeks healing – and his granddaughter
25 minutes
video
Art
More than breathtaking, ‘The Birth of Venus’ signalled an aesthetic revolution
19 minutes
video
Childhood and adolescence
Striking shadow puppetry illuminates a skater kid’s memories of Boy Scout camp
12 minutes
video
Values and beliefs
A Zen Buddhist priest voices the deep matters he usually ponders in silence
5 minutes