Friends of the Uffizi - Leonardo’s Enigma

In a letter to Ludovico Sforza, Leonardo da Vinci described himself as an architect, military engineer, hydraulic engineer, sculptor and painter, in that order. Dr. Kevin Cole focuses on Leonardo the painter, and his masterpiece, Mona Lisa. One of the problems in approaching Mona Lisa is that viewers tend to perceive the painting as an icon, a ‘superstar,’ rather than a painting. Is there a way to get around this icon status and try to perceive it as the image Leonardo painted? Why is this portrait by Leonardo so famous? When did it become famous? Why is the painting so dark? What about her smile? Although many questions still reside around Mona Lisa, some answers have been found, particularly in the first two decades of the 21st Century. Join Broward College Art History Professor Dr. Kevin Cole as he discusses these questions, in an effort to better understand both the fame and importance of Leonardo’s enigmatic painting.