RHETORICAL
ANALYSIS OF “SEEKING
MONA LISA”
This literal paper by Lillian Schwatz
(1988), has described a
visual computer historical analysis that claimed that Leonardo da
Vinci had juxtaposed himself as the model for the worlds most highly
acclaimed , puzzled , expensive and celebrated painting as Mona Lisa
thereby answering the half a century old question and mystery that
surrounded the paining. There were claims that the painting of Mona
Lisa was exhibiting more physical traits than she actually was on a
second and deeper look of the painting. This follows an X-ray
investigation that described by contradiction that therein was a
second painting of Leonardo himself hiding behind and within Mona
Lisa. (Schwatz 40)
When an X-ray investigation was done in the early years of
the 20th Century, there were findings of a secondary face
underlying the surface paining. Thus when the investigation went
deeper to with superimposition, there was a definite mismatch of the
visuals, in line with the surface paining. A third image, possibly a
cartoon of Isabella the Duchess of Aragon who was a model was visibly
matching the surface paint. She too could have asked for her
portrait paining to be done by Leonardo. (Schwatz 41)
The paining had an identity that was visually obscured by the
portrait without a clear line characteristic. It had been blended
with the background to make it appear veiled. There was also evidence
of two strange landscapes that did not match at all at the
background. Further, the eyes were indistinct, with a horizontal
lower lid and missing eyebrows. The apparently boneless head and
timeless dress without feminine décor was a betrayal of a
model class. (Schwatz 41) The painting bore no dates no records of payment for the
work done and considering the long time that it could have taken to
complete, with Leonardo moving up and about Europe, the whole
painting become even more objectionable. Overall all the
contradiction so far show evidence of a painting that was not meant
to be for a female model. Compounding the objection was the structure
of the skull that was more of male than female, and thus mostly
resembled that of Leonardo himself. He perhaps sat next to a mirror
to make a portrait of himself. (Schwatz 43)
Cited List: Schwatz
,Lillian , Feldmann. The Mona Lisa Identification: Evidence from a
computer analysis. The Visual Computer, (1988) 4:40 – 48 Springer –
Verlag 1988
Harriss,
Joseph. Seeking Mona Lisa. Electronic copy Available at
http://www.geocities.com/harriss75007/monalisa.htm?200810
. Accessed on
January 18, 2008.