One of the special features on our new
page is the #ArtViewQuestion
Our first question was:
“Is the Mona Lisa overrated?”
We received a fascinating range of
replies, covering topics from the
politics of art criticism to the history
of dentistry. This is an edited selection
of some of the comments. See the full
discussion, and add your own opinion,
by commenting on this post on the
ArtView page:
www.facebook.com/524182367721588/photos/a.526
463787493446.1073741828.524182367721588/52646
3657493459/?type=1&theater
“It is a bit. And it's so small.”
Liz Fielding
“Maybe we confuse 'over-rated' with 'overhyped' ... We are swamped by images today,
we drown in them and in this sense we do
not see this painting in the way
commentators saw it in the early 1500's and
as later commentators saw it. Images then
were rarer, special and to be deeply
contemplated and those who viewed
artworks were far more aware of the
subtleties of the visual language of their
time, as there was still a shared visual
language understood by this group, that has
been lost or at least shattered today.”
Brett Masters
“In my personal opinion all the
characteristics/attributes that constitute a
masterpiece are NOT present in Mona
"Moaning" Lisa: The mannerist distortion
of the hands, the over-laboured
chiaroscuro; the messy, inept rendering of
the landscape backdrop (for which he had
no real talent) not to mention that rather
creepy, alien face which bears no semblance
to beauty, ideal or otherwise... It only takes
one or two smug art critics to proclaim to
the world, "This is a masterpiece" and the
sheep follow. Let us remember that da Vinci
was not a perfect Man/Artist; he made a few
blunders along the way and this is just
another one on the list.”
Olga Savvidis
“There is no doubt it is a magnificent
painting. The great thing about paintings
that are famous, means that people put
them on their checklist. Which takes them
into the gallery in the first place. Once at
the gallery, they can see many amazing
works of art and hopefully one of them will
knock their socks off...”
Dagmar Cyrulla