Home / Art Gallery / Mona Lisa Gioconda on Postal Stamps

Mona Lisa Gioconda on Postal Stamps

From the original Art on Stamps archive

I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have (Da Vinci's dying words)

Mona Lisa was Leonardo da Vinci's favorite painting. Many theories have been advanced regarding the meaning of the enigmatic smile on the woman's face and the identity of the sitter.

This Leonardo's most famous work is as well known for its mastery of technical innovations as for the mysteriousness of its legendary smiling subject. This work is a consummate example of two techniques - sfumato and chiaroscuro - of which Leonardo was one of the first great masters. Sfumato is characterized by subtle, almost infinitesimal transitions between color areas, creating a delicately atmospheric haze or smoky effect; it is especially evident in the delicate gauzy robes worn by the sitter and in her enigmatic smile.

Chiaroscuro is the technique of modeling and defining forms through contrasts of light and shadow; the sensitive hands of the sitter are portrayed with a luminous modulation of light and shade, while color contrast is used only sparingly.

An especially notable characteristic of Leonardo's paintings is his landscape backgrounds, into which he was among the first to introduce atmospheric perspective. The chief masters of the High Renaissance in Florence, including Raphael , Andrea del Sarto, and Fra Bartolommeo, all learned from Leonardo; he completely transformed the school of Milan; and at Parma, Correggio's artistic development was given direction by Leonardo's work. (After Microsoft Encarta 1996)

Davaar local issue stamp thanks to Rodney, Australia, RCSD newsgroup

Background: Leonardo da Vinci's cartoon "The Virgin and Child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist".