Why Is The Mona Lisa The World's Most Famous Painting? (Waldemar Januszczak) | Perspective 

Waldemar and his documentaries are always a treat and I enjoy watching them. I like his style, his approach and the overlooked details he always points out... but in this episode he tries a bit too hard to say that Leonardo is overrated.

People don't understand Leo, like most geniuses he lived mostly in his head, and because he was great at many a thing he often got interested in other things before he finished the project he had at hand. I guess that's a gift and a cause. Just remember he was designing submarines and flying contraptions before the world needed them, the man rightly diagnosed heart failure before modern science. Respect...

I went to the Louvre with my sister and she insisted she had to take a picture of the painting. It was sort of ritual, I suppose, she wasn't all that interested in the painting itself. I was eager to explore the other rooms and all the "free real estate" where so much of the art I had only seen in books and screens was just there, waiting for spectators. I actually felt disgusted by the spectacle close to the Mona Lisa (a crowd much like the one seen in the video and a bombardment of flashes, even though they're not allowed). The rest of the museum was so much more interesting; I felt like the quieter and less visited wings were filled with the best stuff, tbh.

I have read a few comments about this video, and it seems some people perceive it as offensive and think Waldemar had gone 'too far' in trying to diminish Mona Lisa's value. I'm afraid I have to disagree with this take on Waldemar's approach. He never said that Mona Lisa was not a masterpiece deserving our admiration and awe, though. He simply told us a story about how she came to be the most famous painting in the world. I love how Waldemar revealed a whimsical' side of Leonardo and made him more approachable. Leonardo was unarguably a genius, scientist, artist, mathematician, sculptor, inventor and much more, but he was also a human and fallible one. Thank you, dear Waldemar, for showing us this less than a perfect side, side of our venerated maestro. 👏❤

People that can’t paint 🎨 dull out criticism in spades! Hey Maybe he wasn’t able to finish things but you can’t take away from the fact that he was talented and brilliant and whatever he decided to pay attention to at the moment.

I love Leo's early home; it looks as if someone could still live in it

Being good is one thing but Waldemar has found the channel to express his talent

Never stop making these amazing documentories!

It's a little disturbing that Mr. Januszczak should go to such lengths to rationalize the sociopathy of Caravaggio, who went about causing mayhem and committing murder, while chastising Leonardo for the relatively minor offense of procrastination.

Sfumato is tougher than it looks. No lines. For all the nay sayer: It doesn’t matter where you are in the room in front of the Mona Lisa, her eyes follow you wherever you are. It’s a little spooky and mysterious. I would say to these folks: Try to draw/paint without the benefit of a preliminary sketch. And, while you’re at it try to have your portrait follow you wherever you are in the room.....Good luck with that one. I have enjoyed your perspective on Gaugin and Van Gough, but find this program simplistic and beneath your dignity; full of sometimes “interesting”, and shady asides,

I like this guy. Great documentary.

Jesus, everybody fights to take a photo of it, but nobody bothers to even look at it.

Anyone who says daVinci never accomplished much hasn't bothered to delve in. DaVinci was a genius and has given us gifts that we are only now beginning to understand. via bbc.com: "Many of Leonardo's conclusions, such as the description of how the arterial valves close and open - letting blood flow around the heart - holds true today, but is not widely known. "Even cardiologists get this wrong now," Mr Wells says. "Only with the use of MRI technology has knowledge of this subject been revisited."

Thank you Waldemar! Best romp ever. And, as far as Leonardo goes, he probably just went from one challenge to the next blissfully oblivious of finishing or not finishing the last challenge. Grazie!

I was scared of this painting as a child, there was a chocolate commercial with her in it. When it came on I’d run and hide..Then my dad bought one of those souvenir/replicas of her and put it in the living room. It worked, now im watching history documentaries on her and her creator.

Da Vinci showed he could be a portrait artist. Among all the painting artists alive today, not one in 500 can paint portraits, and not one in 10,000 can paint a portrait that is as moving as the Mona Lisa. Just try it. Few people understand how skilled and imaginative these masters were. Fewer yet will ever honestly believe they have achieved anything remotely a good. Painting a good portrait is not a method study. It is a study of the soul, your own as well as that of the subject(s).

It should be noted that the Gioconda has deteriorated since the early sixteenth century. The painting's eyebrows have either faded or been wiped off in restoration work. The lips originally had more color in them (something which is shown in early copies.) The picture also appears to have cracked and yellowed a lot. The Louvre says the sides of the picture haven't been trimmed, but early copies have large sections of the columns. One thing to look for, is that the assertive look of the original makes it stand out from copies.

I have a print on my study wall. Thanks for the introduction.

The character seen in the famous portrait at the Louvre is not that of Lisa del Giocondo or Mona Lisa, but that of Isabelle d'Aragon and Sforza, the daughter of the King of Naples Alphonse II d'Aragon. Isabelle married her cousin Gian Galeazzo Sforza, the heir to the Duchy of Milan, to consolidate the ties between the Kingdom of Naples and the Duchy of Milan. So, it is the portrait of a princess and not a commoner. Leonardo da Vinci was at that time in the service of Ludovico Sforza, the uncle of Gian Galeazzo who exercised regency at the court of Milan. Isabelle's young husband disappeared prematurely at the age of 25 without being able to exercise power, allegedly assassinated on the orders of his uncle. German historian Maike Vogt-Luerssen tells us that after her widowhood, Isabelle and Leonardo formed a secret couple and had 5 children. Therefore, it was his beloved's portrait that Leonardo da Vinci painted, which explains why he took it to Amboise in France and kept it until the end of his life, like keeping a family photo nowadays. There was thus an emotional connection with Isabelle that did not exist with Lisa del Giocondo, whose portrait was only a commission. The research I myself have done on the landscape indicates that it is based on an authentic location, which would confirm Maike Vogt-Luerssen's theory, as it undoubtedly pays homage to Isabelle d'Aragon's family origins. It seems obvious to me that the identity of the character in this portrait has been confused between an actually received commission, that of the silk merchant's wife, and the portrait of Leonardo's partner, which is the one seen today at the Louvre. All of this is probably now well known to the so-called specialists of Leonardo da Vinci, who do not want to acknowledge the inconsistencies of the official version because they have spent their entire lives defending a version they now know to be outdated. As Mark Twain said, "It is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled."

I love Leonardo even more, for being a what we in sweden call a "nep" like myself. Full of ideas and innovation but lack of drive. And I love Waldemar for not saying it right out, but perfectly describing it. Waldemar is sort of a "nep" himself. A delight to listen to and agree.

I have always loved Leonardo's art, he's up there with Rembrandt for me. I do admit Mr. Januszczak is really funny in this.

Just because someone tells me it's not that great doesn't mean I have to agree. My mom was a portrait artist. I took her on her only trip to France and she wasn't really dying to see the Mona Lisa. But she converted to fandom on the spot. She pointed out her reasons for admiring it so much; she paid attention. She was not swayed by popularity.

I think Waldemar is spot on…He he is an art historian, not a hack…

Anyone else find this painting underwhelming? She certainly has a hold on the imagination and I don’t see it.

He sounds like he personally commissioned something to Leonardo, paid upfront and never got it :D

once he figured it out enough about how to portray the figures and the composition, the challenge is over. His feeling of accomplishment is not a function of human's laud, acceptance, and acclaim 500 years later.

So he started lots of things and never finished them? Sounds like ADD... I can totally relate...

The opening crowd scene had me horrified by all the camera flashes going off. I thought the Mona Lisa was protected from light, especially flashes as most of Da Vinci’s other work is? But yet, so many blasts of light...so very glad I’ve got to see her up close twice. Without a flash.

What is this. The roast of Leonardo? 🤣

It's him.... As artists, fine artiststo be exact our work is a self reflection of ourselves....

Very......... Beautiful.... And nice........ Thins.... ❤❤❤❤💖💖

The first 10 minutes were already widely known facts though. I wish we could've dove deeper into the actual correspondence, publications and art dealings that made this the most famous overtime.

I completed everything though! Perhaps even before the 2 weeks was up!

Leonardo was the Bucky Fuller of his age. Came up with all kinds of things than never quite worked.

I'm still here!

One word comes to mind when ever I think about Da Vinci, and that word is Procrastination. I can absolutely relate.

Does anyone know if there are any more Waldemar episodes. I’m craving more!

I went to Opelika High School too!

I only enjoy art with tours like his.

Enigmatic n bewitching smile

My dear friend, my art history professor told us that it was fashionable for women to shave their eyebrows back then. I always wondered why in some very old paintings, there was only a hint of it. I mean it was almost bare where the eyebrows were supposed to be. You must have noticed it in other works as well. The other thing about Da Vinci you mentioned can also be explained. He believed that the true creativity and genius was in the idea and the thought, and not in the execution of work. After all, once the way is demonstrated, the rest of the task requires labor. I have read his writings. I hope that sheds some light on the two points. "Founder of Expromanticism."

❤️ WALDEMAR ♥️

i presume leonardo took his time with paintings because his technique was a very slow process (an overlaying of translucent layers of oil paint with little pigment, which need a lot of time to dry properly)... the Last Supper was a failure because he tried to work his sfumato technique in fresco - the two are contradictory - fresco has to be worked on fast, and his manner required much more time to complete. it started decaying rapidly because it's fresco secco and the pigments just sit on top of the plaster rather than being incorporated into it, which is exactly the thing that makes fresco last so long.

The red head! Lol!

I attended Smith's from grade school on up!

Oh my god I used to watch this guy in art class jesus

Ở giai đoạn lịch sử quan trọng này ta ko cần phải vổ vai một ai đó cạnh mình : “Shhhhh ! Đừng nói hết ra bạn nghĩ gì ! “ - Lúc này ta dùng sự hiểu biết của dân tộc tự cho mình là con người dám viết lên mạng đâu đó ko phải giấy nhà tôi , dỉ nhiên: hắn nói “hiền dử ko bởi do bản tánh - phần nhiều do giáo dục mà ra !”

I 💙 her

Lisa of the north is much more of a enigma , so little is actually known about it. Much better painting also. My opinion as a artist who's studio has a Vermeer black and white tile floor.

Very little about art or artistry. Just snark.

im surprised about the flash photography , back in 80s it was not allowed

❤

I did Avanced Algebra!

I remember the Mona Lisa coming to New York City. It was a big deal. Great painting.

Where is Kira when you need him

Give em Grants!

I never found the Mona Lisa particularly appealing.I like the Salvator Mundi much much much more.

Waldemar and Sassoon, the wonderfully dry French critic, should get together on a regular basis: the world needs a high-brow version of Eurotrash in these challenging times!

Smith's Station High School!

Like me, Mona didn't like people staring at her! It's kinda creepy!

Or college prep English! I forgot which one!

And how sure are we the original still gazes upon this earth

2 weeks!

I love trying to understand anything and everything about this painting.

Her eyes are constantly staring at me

Mona Lisa had the same great grandparents as me

Great host, overwhelming commentary 😂

Kaplan University!

I like Walter Pater. He is not a stalker.

Go and look at her properly, is he kidding? When I was at the Louvre in 2013 couldn’t even see her for the huge mob in front of her, so I kept on moving onto the other galleries. Looks like this was twenty years ago not a phone in sight 👍👍

“This painting clearly causes madness in men” -Charlie

davincci was a cartoonist or comic artist, lol but the "ART WORLD " made him out to be some being from another planet !

😎

Southern Union!

As you read these comments, remember that other experts have declared this painting unworthy of the insane celebrity it enjoys. They did it quietly, probably because it just isn't worth the conflict. Also, without seeing the original, from a proper viewing distance (now impossible) how can I or any other lay person, reach a valid opinion on the painting?

How about the copy that was made in Leonardo's time, maybe by himself? It's in much better condition and still has the eyebrows.

This series on Perspective is great, but it's practically unwatchable because of the constant interruption of commercials. I keep trying to watch the different programs in the series, then finally give up in disgust when another ad pops up.

skip to 5:30

why are there so many ads in a video of just half an hour...

I'd subscribe to this channel if it didn't have more commercials than any other I've ever seen. Every 3 minutes the story stops. I'm hitting do not suggest instead. Congratulations.

There are a few interesting episodes about La Gioconda in the ArtCurious poscast

Human science's!

It took me a half century to think Mona Lisa was beautiful. As for Leonardo not going far enough, all right. I'm light years from being able to copy Thomas Kinkaid, so there's that.

I would have enjoyed this if only the narrator didn’t sound so cynical and sarcastic. Dan Browns book was written for entertainment and when it came out years ago I thought it a good read for that reason.

10:15...Francesco del Giocondo not Giacond... La Joconde in french not Jiaconde, La Gioconda in italian... This guy's verbal mannerism and constant mispronunciations have been putting me off for the entire series. I know on occasion it might be difficult but if you make a living off of these people's existence trying to pronounce their names correctly would be a bare minimum :/

I think that if they'd had Adderall or Ritalin back then we'd have seen a body of work from Leonardo that was without equal before or since...

I'm eligible!

10:43 "Florentine low life"...don't like his expressions sometimes.

Lol!

Hey, Waldemar, that's a nice hairdress :-)

Honors English class! Lol!

It's okay to start things and not finish! Don't have to finish something for it to count!

Hahaha. I know this documentary has ruffled quite a bit of feathers based on the comments. But I actually enjoyed it. The narrator is a complete ass but my goodness did I get quite a few laughs. I love art (and an artist myself) but I never cared much for this work of Leonardo. It's a lovely painting as I saw it in person, but it does not deserve the astronomical attention that it got imho. It got famous because of popular culture, that's it.

❤The reason behind Monalisa (Marry)was happy because, she was pregnant (jesus)was in her womb. This would be a dream seen by Lenordo davinchi. 🎉

da vinci never “went the final mile”?? jesus man. i guess you’re right, he should’ve started a youtube channel where he babbles ceaselessly.

Minor things, like abolishing the monarchy... XD

it still looks like a poor copy of a work by Leonardo. probably by one of his apprentices, on a bit of old board with layers of practice works already on it.

I saw the Mona Lisa when I traveled to Paris in 2003. There was a very long line to see the painting and people in front of the painting kept standing there for a good long while. I thought this was the perfect time to act like an "Ugly American," and I simply walked to near the front of the line, slipped under the velvet rope and "butted in" the line. No one said anything, not even museum security. When I finally got to the painting, I looked at it hard for 20 seconds or so and left. I was struck at how small the painting is, about the size of a framed piece of art in a home hallway or something. Not extravagant at all. The Louvre is gigantic. I spent a few hours there, and saw just a tiny fraction of it. Paris is fantastic... I wanna go back.

If for some absurd and odd reason Leonardo Da Vinci were born in Britain he wouldn’t be this satirical and snarky about the Mona Lisa.

2014