Olden Days Fan Art

Ever get lost in the mysterious masterwork of da Vinci? Beguiled by the smile of Mona Lisa? Pondered the fact that there’s slightly non-contiguous barren-like landscapes on either side of her?

It seems you need not ponder any longer. Besides the previous realization some years back that da Vinci likely used himself as a model for creating the alluring woman, another aspect of the strange (and wonderful) painting has come to light - the rationale of the landscapes paired with a beautiful lady.

One might call the Mona Lisa a bit of Fan Art, actually! Dr. Ross Kilpatrick (Queen's University Classics professor emeritus) has figured out that this painting is a kind of homage to the poems of both Roman poet Horace and Florentine poet Petrarch. da Vinci is believed to have read each... and both deal with a lovely smiling lady and a devotion to follow her across the world - including the barren places.

Thus, it’s a kind of “interpretation” or transference of medium of the poetry.

Pretty neat!

You can read the full article here.

This came to my attention via a friend I’ve made via the connections of Facebook. So, thank you, Gloria Beanblossom! Gloria is the author of The Tamarisk Tree, Byron's Corner and the upcoming The Wishing Stone. Give her site a visit to find out more about her or her works.  Thanks again, Gloria!