Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Abstract
Much research has been done on the categorization of art works, but not on the
categorization of representations of art works. The Mona Lisa, painted around 1503 by
Leonardo da Vinci, is one of the most famous paintings in the world, and is a good
example of an art work with many representations. A case study of the Mona Lisa is
used to find out the types of representations of the Mona Lisa, and what natural groupings
of these representations exist. The aim of this empirical study is to add to the new theory
similar taxonomies of other works of art. This taxonomy will be useful to librarians for
cataloguing representations of the Mona Lisa, and would lead to effective information
A vast array of representations of some art works exist in art libraries and
museums today, especially in the modern digital age. Each year, the amount of
information in the world increases, especially after the advent of the Internet. The growth
art, and contain much information about culture, times and humanity. They are of
interest to people around the world. Discovering what representations of works of fine
art exist is thus important, and can lead to improved information retrieval.
1
The Mona Lisa was composed of oil on panel on poplar wood panel. It is 77cm
X 53 cm (30 X 20 7/8 in). As McMullen (1977, 29-30) wrote, various sources cite
different years for the painting of the work, ranging between 1503 and 1515. The
original is in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, and is the only instantiation of the
painting. The painting has inspired stories and myths on who the sitter in the Mona Lisa
was. Copies, photographs, critiques, books, movies and even chocolates in several
languages on or about this famous image have been produced since then.
McMullen (1977, 40) wrote that the Mona Lisa is a painting about the third wife
Noldo Gherardini, who was born in 1479. Gould (1975, 110) wrote that this what most
people still believe; that is why the painting is called La Gioconda. Stites (1970, 329-331)
wrote that some people think the painting is of Isabella d’Este, daughter of Duke and
Duchess of Ferrara. Accordign to Stites (1970, 333), Da Vinci turned down offers by the
Pope and others to work on paintings, but did not turn down painting the Mona Lisa,
which he worked on for three years. He carried it with him everywhere, even to his
There is one instantiation of the Mona Lisa. Smiraglia (2001, 167) wrote that an
manifestation of a work. This is the immutable original, the progenitor in the Louvre in
Paris. The instantiation is unique in ideational or semantic content (see section 2), and in
physical characteristics. Leonardo da Vinci did not paint more than one Mona Lisa.
2
exact copy or instantiation of the original. Representations include paintings by
interpretation to the work, and photographs. At the International Society for Knowledge
the evolution, derivation and mutation of ideational content varies across time, culture,
chose eight artifacts, intending find their representations. Smiraglia (2004, 311) wrote
that representations are infinitely mutable. The representations in the books found are
copies of such paintings or photographs and are thus second or third generation
representations.
A user might want to find a representation of the original, or they might want to
find an X-ray of the painting, or the Andy Warhol mutation of the painting. Or they
might want a description in a catalog of exactly what type of representation they have
found. If the library catalog is a bibliographic tool, it will assist the user in finding the
edition that he or she wants. The first step is categorization of representations of the art
work.
A myth has surrounded the Mona Lisa since it was first painted. The Mona Lisa
has come to mean different things to different people and cultures throughout time – from
woman who holds the knowledge and mystery of all of life, to Mary Magdelena, possible
3
wife of Jesus Christ in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. Some believe that it the painting is
a self-portrait. According to McMullen (1977, 84) This belief may have been influenced
by rumor that da Vinci was a homosexual, and by the androgynous figures in his other
works such as The Last Supper. Some people believe that the sitter is a young man in
women’s clothes, perhaps because several figures in da Vinci’s works were androgynous.
In the twentieth century, some believed that the Mona Lisa is part of da Vinci’s religious
works. Costume analogies can be made between the Mona Lisa and his depictions of the
Virgin Mary, Apostles and angels. What adds to the mystery of the Mona Lisa is that it is
unsigned and undated. There are no traces of commission or records of payment. Part of
this myth has had to do with the myth around Leonardo da Vinci, who was considered a
new Pythagoras by people in his time. (McMullen 1977, 12) Although he was considered
a genius by some, and royals and clerics welcomed him into their homes, he had some
disadvantages. Da Vinci was left-handed which was almost like being cursed at his time,
and he was the out-of-wedlock son of Caterina and Ser Piero da Vinci. (McMullen 1977,
15)
A myth has surrounded the smile. Does she know a secret that we do not know?
Was she a saint? Some viewers would think that the smile is self-satisfied, while other
viewers may think that it is provocative. At the same time, according to McMullen
(1977, 80), it was customary for ladies of that time to lift the left side of their mouth in a
smile, and not to laugh, which was considered low-class. The mystery surrounding the
Mona Lisa led Clark (1961, 117) to write that the Mona Lisa is “one of those works of art
must be re-interpreted by each generation.” He wrote that artists prior to this painting did
4
not depict the people in their portraits with a soul, unless they used gestures to show the
soul.
Many painters tried to produce copies of the Mona Lisa, and others reinterpreted
it in their paintings. About twenty years after the painting of the Mona Lisa, the “Flemish
Gioconda” appeared. (McMullen 1977, 144) Through the 1600s and early 1700s, people
were enthralled by the Mona Lisa. During the latter part of the eighteenth century, the
Mona Lisa was relatively unnoticed. This was partly because French monarchs had kept
the painting in out-of-the-way places like the storerooms of the Direction des Bâtiments,
equivalent to modern ministry of fine arts. In 1800 the Mona Lisa was listed as hanging
in Bonaparte’s bedroom, and in 1804 the painting was taken to the Louvre. (McMullen
1977, 161) Here the painting became more popular than ever. Romanticism and
emerged. McMullen (1977, 163 and 168) wrote that the lady in the Mona Lisa was often
regarded as a femme fatale, and, at the same time, gifted painters and literati depicted the
lady in the Mona Lisa as a saintly, mysterious and erotic figure. The mystique of the
painting grew.
Art movements such as Dadaism and Surrealism also presented a less idealized
view of the Mona Lisa. The painting was stolen in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia, who
wanted it to be in Italy. The theft shows the symbolic importance of the art work. The
painting was displayed in various places in Italy before being returned to France on
January 4, 1914. (McMullen 1977, 205) When it was returned, it inspired more awe. But
many people started being tired of the following of the Mona Lisa, and began to satirize
it. This attitude to the work is found in the many cartoon mutations found in this study.
5
An example is Dali as Mona Lisa by Philip Halsman (McMullen 1977, 220 image 131).
Modernists thought that the Mona Lisa was irrelevant to their work. According to della
Chiesa (1967, 105), with the advent of Pop Art, many protested against the Mona Lisa, as
Other people were still keeping the myth going. Through all of the cultural
interpretations and art history periods, the Mona Lisa is still a popular art work that
inspires the production of many derivations and mutations. McMullen (1977, 242) wrote
that the Mona Lisa, as opposed to other art works, was most popular because of “sheer
availability for meaning, of the general, uncommitted sign that invites the viewer-reader
to discover for himself, perhaps invent, exactly what is signified”. The painting is still
being interpreted.
2. Literature Review
Smiraglia (2001) wrote about the history of the concept of “a work” since the
Bodleian library in 1674. Since the earliest libraries, one author sometimes produced
more than one edition of a book. It is important to define what a work is in order to keep
an organized account of material produced from one primary source, including editions,
abridgements, commentary and more. The interest in a work, before the term was coined
in knowledge organization, was for the purpose of cataloguing material by one author.
Between 1994 and 1995, Yee published four articles about what a work is. Yee
wrote in “What is a Work? Part I: The User and the Objects of the Catalog”.
6
From the earliest libraries, there was concern about how to record and classify several
Panizzi called for displaying all the “works” of an author [artist], including editions of a
book, under a uniform original title, regardless of a change of title. (Yee 1994c, 11)
Cataloguing was more difficult with anonymous works or works where an author had a
pseudonym. Jewett went further. He listed editions of a work under the name of an
author that had a pseudonym (if the author was found). He called for a translation of a
work to go under its original title. Cutter’s rules made the objects of the catalog explicit
and brought together all editions of a work, whether entered under author or title.
Yee (1994c, 10 and 13) wrote that the first Anglo-American code in 1908 did not
define a work, and left out the objects of the catalog, dropped the rules for arrangement
that had called for the gathering and careful organization of all editions of a work entered
under the author, and dropped the rules for entering translations of modern anonymous
works under their original titles. Works do not need to have an author. Smiraglia (2001,
28) wrote that the AACR2 often used the terms “work” and “item” interchangeably.
These rules were in effect for about 50 years. Lubetzky in the 1950s wrote the
Code of Cataloguing Rules, in which he wrote the importance of collocating all editions
of a work, including works published in manifestations with different titles. He saw the
importance of the user being able to retrieve a particular edition of a work. At the
definition of a work was produced: “1. work: Any expression of thought in language or
symbols or other medium for record and communication; 2. version: One of several
intellectual forms taken by the same work. (These may be an original text and its
7
translation, or various texts in one language based on the same original work.); and 3.
different purpose from the original version, or converted into a different literary form.”
In 1968 Wilson recognized that a work is a group or family of texts with one
original ancestor. He wrote about the dichotomy between a work and the item, and about
exists in cataloguing, classification and indexing. Wilson wrote that users need
concept of a work, and creating taxonomies of representations of works, can lead to better
content for a work. Writing about books, he called the subject matter of a text ideational
content and the set of linguistic strings expression the text, the semantic content.
work. In the case of the Mona Lisa, this would be the idea of a lady sitting and smiling.
The semantic content of the work for the Mona Lisa is the material of the work, in this
case the oil paint on poplar wood panel, as the text is the semantic content of a book.
What constitutes the ideational content of the Mona Lisa is subjective. The
painting is obviously about a woman sitting in front of a mirror, with crossed arms. She
is smiling and is dressed in a veil and dress. The background outside is of a mountainous
scene with streams and a bridge, and no people. People throughout history have guessed
8
at why the lady smiles. McMullen (1977, 165) wrote that some people believed that da
Vinci kept musicians and jesters in the room while he worked on the painting, to keep the
lady amused. Gould (1975, 113) wrote that some people have interpreted her smile and
gaze as “regal relaxation” that expressed superb confidence and tranquility. Some
twentieth century artists believe that several sitters sat for the painting. (McMullen 1977,
84) To add to this mystery, the hair and costume of the Mona Lisa seem to be deliberately
neutralized so as to imply no paritcular time or place. Some people believe that the
sitter is a young man in women’s clothes. Perhaps an apprentice sat for the painting, as
was cusotmary, since women were usually absent in workshops. (McMullen 1977, 85)
The ideational content differs according to viewers, culture and time, and the
interpretation of what is depicted in the painting and what this means. Myths
surrounding the Mona Lisa increased the perceptions of ideational content through
culture and time, and the mysterious nature of the painting itself led to varying
perceptions. The ideational content is also the foggy, mysterious background, painted by
the da Vinci technique sfumato, where nature not depicted identically to what it is, but
The semantic content of the Mona Lisa is the material of the work, in this case the
oil paint on poplar wood panel. Rules for pictorial material were developed in the 1950s
at the Library of Congress. Since then, a change in medium, which would be the
semantic content of a painting, with a different artist producing the work, signifies a new
work. Photography has been considered the same work as the work reproduced.
9
2.1 Definitions of Works Since 1990
copy of the manifestation that differs from other copies “in ways that do not significantly
affect the intellectual or artistic content”. (Yee 1994b, 227) Issues dealt with in this paper
(Section 5.1), and whether some mutations are so mutated as to warrant a different work.
is pertinent to this study because it is similar to the difference between a derivation and a
mutation, although representations of the Mona Lisa were not categorized into
manifestations or near – equivalents. Yee (1994a, 252 and 1994b, 368) proposed that a
manifestation results when the continuity of a work (such as the visual, audio or textual
aspect), differs from that of the original work. The intellectual or artistic content changes
significantly. This is so when the ideational or semantic content changes from the
manifestation. Yee (1994a, 248) wrote three ways that a film work can be a true
the work; and 3. changes to the soundtrack or subtitles can be carried out by identifiable
subsidiary authors, the cast can change entirely, and differences in soundtrack can occur.
10
A near equivalent is a copy of a manifestation of a work that differs from other copies in
ways that are not significantly different in intellectual or artistic content. Yee (1994a,
369) determined that the length in film is the primary indicator of a copy being a
cataloguers relied were not reliable to test if a copy was a manifestation or a near-
equivalent.
the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) of 1998, the
48) wrote that the IFLA report was a milestone in treating works in catalogs by defining
The idea of painting the Mona Lisa was the work. Its expressions could have been
various sketches or studies that Leonardo da Vinci composed before the final product:
studies of the hands, background and other parts of the painting. The manifestation of the
painting was how he chose to finally express his intellectual and artistic ideas, and the
item is the physical embodiment of this – the painting in the Louvre in Paris.
11
and shared characteristic relationships. Smiraglia (2001, 51 and 130) studied derivative
Smiraglia (2001, 166-168) wrote that derivations are “instantiations of a work that retain
some ideational content from the progenitor but have significantly different semantic
content”, and that mutations are “instantiations of a work that have changed ideational or
semantic content”.
each document embodies essentially the same information or shares essentially the same
intellectual or artistic content.” She derived the term “superwork” for such bibliographic
a work. It is a collocating device, under which works related to a common progenitor can
be grouped. The Mona Lisa can be considered a superwork, because of all of its various
Smiraglia (2001, 565) wrote that works are communication vehicles across
cultures and times, and that, in the postmodern era, the concept of a work has evolved to
a group of instantiations with a collaborative social role, and that a work is the product of
intellectual activity across culture and time. Smiraglia (2001, 58-59) wrote that their
taxonomy and subsequent cataloguing for information retrieval is essential for the
dissemination of knowledge.
12
Eggert (1994, 75) wrote that the usual assumption is that the viewer plays no role
the painting but only reacts to it. But the reality is that a viewer interprets what an art
work is, and collective interpretations of the majority of art experts and viewers change
throughout cultures and time. Eggert (1994, 76) wrote that the work of art comes into
being with each new viewing, and incorporate the reactions of those who encountered
them. This is true with each derivation and mutation of the art work as well. The
mutations of the Mona Lisa over time, for instance, will show different art movements
and cultural aspects of time and place. These affected how the painting was interpreted.
Smiraglia (2001, 65) wrote that the core literature or canon “functions to preserve
and disseminate the parameters of a culture by inculcating cultural values through the
information conveyed as a whole and in each of the works that comprise it.” The
canonicity of a popular work such as the Mona Lisa includes the academic canon where
scholars, art historians and painters study the work, and the popular canon, where
products, restaurants and the like have developed from the lure of the work. This,
together with the age of the Mona Lisa, ensures that many representations will exist.
Relations between works such as the Mona Lisa in a canon and between canons affect the
amount and types of derivations and mutations of a work. Culture, commerce and
13
• What natural groupings of Mona Lisa representations exist?
The terms "Leonardo da Vinci" were searched as subject in the catalog of the
Bobst Library, New York University. A total of 401 records were found. Books with call
numbers between ND623.A5 1938 and ND623.L53Z83 were located, to make the sample
a manageable size for this study. These books were about Leonardo da Vinci, and took
up the space of three and half book shelves. Representations of the Mona Lisa from these
of 131 representations were photocopied. Some representations were found in more than
one source book (See Appendix I for a list of source books). Representations were
identified as mutations or derivations, as per the theory of the work (Smiraglia, 2001). A
was conducted.
4.0 Results
With all of the myth and popularity of the work, many representations exist, as is
evidenced from the 111 distinct representations obtained from the sample of 20 books.
(Some of these representations appeared more than once. Counting all of them, the total
number of representations found is 131. This was noted in Appendix II.) While,
14
ideational content did not vary much in derivations, as was expected, it varied a great
deal from the progenitor to mutations, and among mutations. Most of the representations
found in the books studied did not have a changed semantic content. Sometimes, the type
of paint used was not described in the books. No sculpture representations were found.
All of the representations found were copies of photographs, or second and third version
representations. The semantic content of the representations that were photographed and
type of representation. An “*” indicates that a representation can belong to more than
one category. That representation is listed in all of the appropriate tables. “NA” signifies
that the artist or date of production is not available. The taxonomy reflects the natural
groupings of representations found among the source books. Some proposed sections of
the taxonomy, such as “Both” for color and black and white in one representation, and
“Impressionism”, were not found in the representations studied, but are anticipated to be
likely. Some representations might constitute new works. That is discussed in Section
5.2. The cultural and time influences on the interpretations of the Mona Lisa, and thus on
the types of representations found, are apparent, and are discussed in Section 5.1.2.
were found. A total of 16 subsequent representations and four amplifications were found.
The most common type of mutation was “cartoon”, with 34 different representations
found. Three were each found in two different source books. This was a total of six
representations. The image was counted as a cartoon once. The next most common
mutation was “embedded”, with 9 representations found. Following that in order of most
15
to least found are: nude renderings(9); sketches (6); “copies” by contemporaries of da
Derivations: Painting with slightly changed or similar ideational content and semantic
content
-Color
-Color
-Both
Extraction: art work with a portion of the progenitor, such as art work
featuring the eyes, lips, face, or part of the background of the Mona
Lisa
-Color
16
-Both
both
-1600s
-1700s
-1800s
-1900s
-Surrealism
-Modern Art
-Color
-Both
-1600s
-1700s
-1800s
-1900s
-Surrealism
-Modern Art
-Postmodern
17
-Color
-Both
-Color
-Both
-political
-Color
-Both
-Color
-Both
Embedded: art work with the image of part or the whole of the image of
-Color
-Both
18
*a drawing intended as satire, caricature, or humor (Merriam Webster online)
Photographic Negative
representation
of the image
5.0 Discussion
The two large categories of the taxonomy, derivation and mutation, were taken
from Smiraglia (2001, 154). The representations were first divided into these the two
simultaneous derivations were not found. Da Vinci did not paint more than one exact
copies of the Mona Lisa), extractions of the Mona Lisa, or amplifications of the Mona
representations where all or part of the painting were shown. Ideational content was
slightly changed since a photograph or paper image will not yield the same feel as the
progenitor. The semantic content, which was photographic film, did change. (The second
level representations of the photographs were the representations in the books, and the
semantic content was the ink, paper, and other material that made up the image.) The
biggest difference between a derivation and a mutation in this study is that the ideational
19
Mutations were representations where the ideational or semantic content, or both,
were changed. Productions by artists contemporary to da Vinci trying to copy the Mona
Lisa or producing pieces with significantly changed ideational content were grouped
under “mutations”. None of these were exact copies of the progenitor. No attempts to
copy the Mona Lisa were found that were produced by painters that lived after da Vinci’s
time. Further studies will probably reveal that artists in different time periods tried to
copy the progenitor, with ideational content staying the same and semantic content
staying the same or differing. These “copies” would still be considered mutations, since
they cannot be exactly the same as the progenitor. One limitation is that the type of paint
or panel used was not evident in the source books for all representations, and many of the
productions were by anonymous artists and had no title. It was thus difficult to find the
A right handed image was found and was given a category of its own; more such
representations might be found upon further research. Da Vinci was left handed, and
researchers may want to study the work painted by a right-handed man. An amplified
mutation was a representation where one or more mutated versions of the Mona Lisa
were present. Many nude renderings of the painting, as early as the early 1600s were
found. The amount of such representations found seemed appropriate for a new category.
Several embedded mutations were found. In these mutations, whole or part of the Mona
Lisa was “inside” other art productions. Sketches are representations where the
progenitor is copied or studied with pencil, ink, or marker. Further research may reveal
more of these, such as those by famous artists starting a career while studying a great
20
painting like the Mona Lisa, for instance. Studies are representations with notes by the
artist to study proportion. Sketches can be studies and studies can be sketches.
image was taken of the Mona Lisa. Photographic negatives are negative photographic
representations. These are not like the photographs under derivation, since the ideational
content or idea is changed to an abstract, scientific one, rather than an idea of a lady with
Technology made it possible for more mutations to arise. The last three categories make
5.1.1 Derivations
representation in Vallentin (1938, 354) and the black and white representation in Bodmer
(1931, 36). An example of an amplification is Andy Warhol’s Thirty Are Better Than
One. (McMullen 1977, image 129) This can also be categorized as a cartoon since
Warhol was poking fun at the prestige of the Mona Lisa. Examples of extractions are
21
extractions of the eyes, lips, face, and background, such as the extraction of mouth in
image 195 in McMullen (1977, 195) and the color image of the hands in Reti (1974, 95).
5.1.2 Mutations
Copies of artists can be divided into attempts to recreate the Mona Lisa and
“abstractions” where the ideational content is changed on purpose. The latter can be
Vinci are the Italian copy, image 83 of McMullen (1977), and the Spanish copy, image
84 in McMullen (1977). Other copies had ideational content changed to different degrees
portrait by Raphael, dated as early as 1504 (McMullen 1977, image 15). This is a sketch
of a young lady in a similar pose as that in the Mona Lisa. Raphael produced other
copies: Maddelena Doni (image 86, McMullen 1977) and La Muta (image 87,
McMullen 1977)
(McMullen 1977, 228 image 135). Amplified cartoon images of the sitter are part of the
artistic piece, which is also a cartoon. An example of a nude Mona Lisa is the one by a
follower of da Vinci. (McMullen 1977, 67, image 38) These nude renditions date back to
the sixteenth century. According to McMullen (1977, 67) some believe that they are
copies of the original Mona Lisa by da Vinci. Other nude representations include
representations 91, 92, 93 and 97 in McMullen (1977, 150-151, 157), image XV in della
Chiesa (1967, 105). People started thinking that the lady in the Mona Lisa had
22
sophisticated sexuality, and she appeared in mutation copies as a courtesan. An example
is Lady in Her Bath by François Clouet, which is discussed under “New Works”.
century, as Dadaism, Surrealism and Pop Culture became popular, and interpretations of
the Mona Lisa varied. Examples of cartoons include the sitter making a face (della
Chiesa 1967, 105, IV), and the sitter with her hands over her eyes (della Chiesa 1967,
105, XXVI).
McMullen (1977, 166, 206). Image 101 is of the scene of da Vinci painting the Mona
Lisa. It depicts the lady sitting and being entertained by court jesters, while Raphael and
a monk look on. Image 122 King Carnival with Mona Lisa by G.A. Mossa depicts the
lady of the Mona Lisa snuggling up to a Rabelaisian figure of King Carnival. Here the
semantic content is changed; it is ink. Gioconda with Keys by Fernand Leger (McMullen
study is Plate XV in Goldblatt (1961, 62). It is also an extraction which focuses on the
image 66 in McMullen (1977, 113). The latter is also an extraction, since it is an image
of the face of the lady in the Mona Lisa. A photographic negative representation is the
23
representation is the Mona Lisa as a narrower image (Della Chiesa 1967, 105, image
XXXVI).
231, 141) This was produced in 1973 using optical equipment during experiments aimed
include representations 142 and 143 in McMullen (1977, 232). Image 142, Striped
Gioconda, and 143, Abstract Gioconda, were produced by artist Shigeo Fukuda by
The ideational and semantic content vary more with mutations than with
derivations. The ideational content varies the most with cartoons, and scientific or
computerized representations. The semantic content varies with most with scientific or
computerized representations.
work can be considered new. An example is Lady in Her Bath, painted by Francois Clout
(McMullen 1977, image 94). It is not so obvious that the painter derived his idea for the
painting from the Mona Lisa. The lady does have a mysterious look and smile. She is
nude, her arms are not crossed and she is holding something with one hand, and several
people appear in the painting, including a mother suckling her baby. The latter can just
as easily be said to be derived from a painting of the Virgin Mary. Furthermore, Nature
is not depicted. Another work that can be considered new is Raphael’s Lady with a
Unicorn, dated to about 1506. (McMullen 1977, image 37) McMullen wrote that this is
24
part of a Florentine series which Raphael painted under the influence of the Mona Lisa.
The position of the lady is similar, yet there is no mysterious smile, or Nature depicted, or
plain dress. The overall feel, although subjective, is different. The sitter is holding a
unicorn. According to McMullen (1977, 37), X-ray studies revealed that a saint’s mantle
and wheel had been repainted by another hand, presumably da Vinci’s, with a unicorn
6.0 Conclusion
Old popular works of art have many derivations and mutations. Work must be
done to find the types of derivations and mutations, and to categorize them into a
taxonomy that would be a first step toward more effective information retrieval tools.
The sample taken for this study was small, and was not obtained in a systematic way.
Studies to obtain representations of the Mona Lisa from print, Internet and commercial
extraction can be a cartoon, for instance. One type of mutation may also be another type
of mutation, or even another type of derivation. The cartoon mutation of the Mona Lisa
smile on a dog in della Chiesa (1967, XIX) is also an extraction derivation. The
radiography mutation in della Chiesa (1967, 10) is also an extraction derivation. Only the
face of the sitter, for the most part, is shown. King Carnival with Mona Lisa (McMullen
25
1977, 206, image 122) is both a cartoon and an embedded mutation. More research is
mutations of an art work such as the Mona Lisa which is old and popular and has
influenced and whose interpretation has influenced culture over time. More research can
be done to define what would compose a new work altogether. Research can also be
done to explore the various interpretations of the painting across time and culture, and to
see how these interpretations influenced the emergence of derivations and mutations.
This research can include categorizing representations of the Mona Lisa according to
different art movements in the United States, Europe, and other areas.
An interesting study would be to see if the Mona Lisa is in fact part of a work of
an older progenitor. McMullen (1977, 80 and 84) wrote that mysterious smiles were
prominent in Gothic religious paintings, and that fictional natural scenery was prominent
taxonomy of derivations and mutations that will ultimately aid in taxonomies of art works
in general, and in the production of more effective information retrieval tools for these art
works.
26
Works Cited
Chiesa, Anglela Ottino della, ec. 1967. The complete paintings of Leonardo da Vinci
Eggert, Paul. 1994. Editing paintings/conserving literature: The nature of the “work”. In
Studies in bibliography, vol. 47, ed. By David L. Vander Meulen, 65-78. Charlottsville,
Pub. For The bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia by the University
Press of Virginia.
Gould, Cecil Hilton Monk. 1975. Leonardo: The artist and the non-artist Boston: New
http://www.ifla.org
McMullen, Roy. 1977. Mona Lisa: The picture and the myth New York: Da Capo Press,
Inc.
2004
27
Sassure, Ferdinand de. 1959 (repr. 1966) Course in general linguistics. Ed. By Charles
Bally and Albert Sechehaye; in collaboration with Albert Riedlinger; trans., with an
Smiraglia, Richard P. 2001. The nature of work: Implications for the organization of
Smiraglia, Richard P. 2003. The history of the work in the modern catalog. Cataloging &
Smiraglia, Richard P. 2004. Knowledge sharing and content geneology: extending the
“works” model as a metaphor for non-documentary artifacts with case studies of Etruscan
artifacts. In: Knowledge Organization and the Global Information Society, ed. By Ian C.
Principles and Future Development of AACR, Toronto, Canada, October 23-25, 1997.
28
Yee, Martha M. 1994a. Manifestations and near-equivalents: Theory, with special
227-255.
Yee, Martha M. 1994c. What is a work? Part 1: The User and the Objects of the Catalog
Yee, Martha M. 1995d. What is a work? Part 4: The User and the Objects of the Catalog
29
Appendix I
Bibliography of Source Books
Bodmer, Heinrich. 1931. Leonardo: Des meisters gemalde und zeichnungen in 360
Calder, Ritchie. 1970. Leonardo and the Age of the Eye New York: Simon and Schuster.
Chiesa, Anglela Ottino della, ec. 1967. The complete paintings of Leonardo da Vinci
Fumagalli, Guiseppina. 1952. Leonardo: Omo sanza lettere Florence: G.C. Sansoni
SPA.
Gould, Cecil Hilton Monk. 1975. Leonardo: The artist and the non-artist Boston: New
McMullen, Roy. 1977. Mona Lisa: The picture and the myth New York: Da Capo Press,
Inc.
Philipson, Morris, ed. 1996. Leonardo da Vinci: Aspects of the Renaissance Genius New
Rosci, Marco. 1977. The hidden leonardo Chicago: Rand McNally & Company.
30
Scaillierez, Cecile. 2003. Leonard De Vinci: La joconde Paris : Réunion des musées
nationaux
Siren, Osvald. 1916. Leonardo da Vinci, the artist and the man New Haven, CT: Yale
University Press.
Vallentin, Antonina. 1938. Leonardo da Vinci: The Tragic Pursuit of Perfection New
Wallace, Robert. 1967. The world of Leonardo, 1452-1519 New York: Time, Inc.
Wasserman, Jack. 1984. Leonardo Da Vinci: Leonardo New York: Harry N. Abrams.
31
Appendix II
Subsequent representations of original (photograph representations, with second
generation representations in source books as representations)
Representation Artist Source Date
Mona Lisa, B/W Leonardo da Vinci Bodmer 1931, 36 1503-1515
Mona Lisa, color Leonardo da Vinci Calder 1970, 147 1503-1515
Mona Lisa, B/W Leonardo da Vinci della Chiesa 1967, 1503-1515
Tav. XLVII-IL
Mona Lisa, B/W Leonardo da Vinci Eissler 1962, 171 1503-1515
Mona Lisa, B/W Leonardo da Vinci Freud 1947, 171 1503-1515
Mona Lisa, B/W Leonardo da Vinci Fumagalli 1952, 1503-1515
Tav. XXIV
Mona Lisa, B/W Leonardo da Vinci Gould 1975, 102 1503-1515
Mona Lisa, B/W Leonardo da Vinci McMullen 1977, 1503-1515
introduction
*Mona Lisa float in NA McMullen 1977, 1912
Paris mid-Lent 205, image 121
parade [embedded],
B/W
Mona Lisa, B/W Leonardo da Vinci Philipson 1996, 1503-1515
Figure 7
Mona Lisa, B/W Leonardo da Vinci Rosci 1976 1503-1515
Mona Lisa, color Leonardo da Vinci Scaillierez 2003, 5 1503-1515
Mona Lisa, B/W Leonardo da Vinci Stites 1970, 330, 1503-1515
Figure 283
Mona Lisa, color Leonardo da Vinci Vallentin 1938, 354 1503-1515
Mona Lisa, color Leonardo da Vinci ArtBook Leonardo, 1503-1515
4
Mona Lisa, color Leonardo da Vinci ArtBook Leonardo, 1503-1515
90
Amplifications
Representation Artist Source Date
Three sitters in one, NA della Chiesa, 1967, NA
B/W 105, image XXV
Thirty Are Better Andy Warhol McMullen 1977, NA
Than One, B/W 216 image 130
NA McMullen 1977, 1970s
*Mona Lisa shop in 236 image 146
Tokyo (photograph,
B/W)
32
Extractions
Representation Artist Source Date (of
(photographer Extraction)
names are not
noted in sources)
Face and upper part Leonardo da Vinci Bodmer 1931, 37 1503-1515
of painting, B/W
Eyes, color Leonardo da Vinci ArtBook Leonardo NA
Eyes, B/W Leonardo da Vinci McMullen 1977, NA
238, image 149
Mouth, B/W Leonardo da Vinci McMullen 1977, NA
195, image 118
*Face, B/W Leonardo da Vinci della Chiesa, 1967, NA
[radiography] 10
Face, color Leonardo da Vinci Hohenstatt 1998 NA
Face, color Leonardo da Vinci Rosci 1977,130 NA
Face, B/W Leonardo da Vinci McMullen 1977, NA
119, image 70
Upper part of Leonardo da Vinci Constantino1994, NA
Painting, color 97
*Upper part of Leonardo da Vinci Goldblatt 1961, 62 NA
Mona Lisa Plate XV
with superimposed
geometrical designs
(also study)
Upper part of Leonardo da Vinci Reti 1974, 21 1503-1515
painting, thumbnail,
B/W
Upper part of Leonardo da Vinci Reti 1974, 25 1503-1515
painting, B/W
Hands, color Leonardo da Vinci Constantino1994, NA
95
Hands, B/W Leonardo da Vinci della Chiesa, 1967, NA
10
Hands, B/W Leonardo da Vinci McMullen 1977, NA
119, image 69
Hands, color Leonardo da Vinci Rosci 1977,132 NA
Hands, color Leonardo da Vinci Scailliérez 2003, 8, NA
image 4
Hands, color Leonardo da Vinci Wasserman 1984, NA
147
Hands, color Leonardo da Vinci ArtBook Leonardo NA
Part of face and left Leonardo da Vinci Wasserman 1984, NA
background, B/W 40
Bodice, B/W Leonardo da Vinci McMullen 1977, 60, NA
image 30
33
Background, B/W Leonardo da Vinci McMullen 1977, NA
(left) 102, image 62
Background, B/W Leonardo da Vinci McMullen 1977, NA
(right) 102, image 63
Background, color Leonardo da Vinci ArtBook Leonardo NA
Mutations
Copy by contemporary artist
Representation Artist Source Date
Italian copy, B/W Anonymous McMullen 1977, NA
141, image 83 and
Siren 1916,156
Spanish copy, B/W Andrea Salai McMullen 1977, NA
141, image 84
Bodmer 1931, 84,
Siren 1916,156, and
Goldblatt 1961, 104
Maddelena Doni, Raphael McMullen 1977, NA
B/W 143
La Muta, B/W Raphael McMullen 1977, Around 1506
143
Flemish Gioconda, Anonymous McMullen 1977, Mid 1500s
B/W 145
Right-handed image
Representation Artist Source Date
Right-Handed NA McMullen 1977 NA
Mona Lisa B/W 122, image 71
Amplified Mutation
Representation Artist Source Date
*The Occasion René Bertholo McMullen 1977, NA
Makes the 228 image 135
Gioconda
[cartoon], B/W
Nude Renderings
Representation Artist Source Date
Nude Gioconda Anonymous Bodmer 1931, 7 NA
Nude Gioconda, B/W Anonymous McMullen 1977, NA
150
Nude Gioconda, B/W Joos van Cleve McMullen 1977, NA
150
Nude Gioconda, B/W Barthel Bruyn McMullen 1977, NA
150
Nude Gioconda, B/W Anonymous McMullen 1977, Early 1600s
34
157 and Bodmer
1931, 85
Monna Vanna Andrea Salai Scailliérez 2003, 31, NA
Bodmer 1931, 86,
and Goldblatt 1961,
114
Nude Gioconda Anonymous Siren 1916,156
Nude Mona Lisa in a Souzouki della Chiesa 1967, NA
pot, B/W 105
Cartoon
Representation Artist Source Date
(name or
description)
Sitter laughing, B/W NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
105, I
Sitter laughing hand NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
to mouth, B/W 105, II
Sitter laughing NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
thumb to nose, B/W 105, III
Sitter in apron, B/W NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
105, IV
Sitter making a face, NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
B/W 105, V
Lady looking like NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
sitter and standing 105, VI
between two men;
B/W postcard
Sitter with NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
eyeglasses, 105, VII
mustache, hat and
two birds on her
shoulders; B/W
postcard
Sitter with a pipe, NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
B/W 105, XI
Sitter with bullet NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
holes, B/W 105, XIII
Sitter with pins, NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
B/W 105, XVI
The sitter on a NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
motorcycle, B/W 105, image XVIII
*Smile of sitter on a NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
dog [embedded] , 105, XIX
B/W
Dissociated Mona NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
35
Lisa in the figure of 105, image XX
a pair of shoes, B/W
The Mona Lisa with NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
an old man’s face, 105, image XXII
B/W
*Abstract Sketch Anonymous della Chiesa, 1967, Mid 1900s
with enlarged head 105, image XXIII
of the sitter, B/W
[sketch]
Sitter with NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
elongated neck, 105, image XXVIII
B/W
Skull on sitter, B/W NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
105, XXIV
Hands over sitter’s NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
eyes, B/W 105, XXVI
Man’s face inplace NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
of sitter’s face, B/W 105, XXXIII
Sitter with bob, as a NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
transvestite B/W 105, XXXIV
Sitter as seen NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
through water, B/W 105, XXXVI
Deconstructed sitter NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
with geometrical 105, XXXVII
shapes, B/W
King Carnival with G. A. Mossa McMullen 1977, Early 1900s
Mona Lisa, B/W 206 image 122
L.H.O.O.Q. Marcel Duchamp McMullen 1977, 1919
220 image 131 and
della Chiesa 1967,
105, IX
Dali as Mona Lisa Philip Halsman McMullen 1977, NA
220 image 131 and
della Chiesa 1967,
105, X
In Tears Paul Wunderlich McMullen 1977, NA
227 image 134
*The Occasion René Bertholo McMullen 1977, Early 1900s
Makes the 228, image 135
Gioconda B/W
[amplified
mutation], B/W
*Great American Tom Wesselmann McMullen 1977, Early 1900s
Nude No. 31, B/W 228, image 136
[embedded]
*Gymnastic Urbaniec Maciej McMullen 1977, Early 1900s
36
Gioconda B/W 230, image 137
[embedded]
Stalin as Mona Lisa Marinus McMullen 1977, Early 1900s
(political) 230, image 138 and
della Chiesa 1967,
105, VIII
Golda Meir as David Geva McMullen 1977, Early 1900s
Mona Lisa 230, image 139
(political)
Mona Owl Chris Marker McMullen 1977, Early 1900s
(political) 230, image 140
NA McMullen 1977, NA
Lisa Reacting 233, image 144
Tokyo Poster NA McMullen 1977, 1970s
237, image 148
Embedded
Representation Artist Source Date
*Smile of sitter on a NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
dog [cartoon] , B/W 105, XIX
Troubadourish Aimée Bruné-Pages McMullen 1977, 1845
canvas showing 166, image 101
Leonardo da Vinci
painting the sitter
and the painting,
B/W
*Mona Lisa float in NA McMullen 1977, 1912
Paris mid-Lent 205, image 121
parade [subsequent
representation],
B/W
Orens McMullen 1977, NA
The Return of the 211, image 125
Mona Lisa, B/W
Gioconda with Fernand Léger McMullen 1977, 1930
Keys, 225, image 133
B/W
*The Occasion René Bertholo McMullen 1977, Early 1900s
Makes the 228, image 135
Gioconda B/W
[cartoon], B/W
*Great American Tom Wesselman McMullen 1977, Early 1900s
Nude No. 31, B/W 229, image 136
*Gymnastic Urbaniec Maciej McMullen 1977, Early 1900s
Gioconda, B/W 229, image 137
*Mona Lisa viewers NA McMullen 1977, 1974
37
in Tokyo 236, image 147
(photograph)
Sketches
Representation Artist Source Date
(name or
description)
Maddelena Doni, Raphael della Chiesa 1967, 1506
B/W 104, McMullen
1977, 28, image 15
and Siren 1916, 156
Mona Lisa with Maurice Henry della Chiesa, 1967, Early 1900s
Skull, B/W 105, image X
*Abstract Sketch, Anonymous della Chiesa, 1967, Mid 1900s
B/W [cartoon] 105, image XXIII
Cover of Bizarre Siné della Chiesa 1967, 1959
magazine, B/W 105, image XXVII
Sketch of face and Anonymous McMullen 1977 1651
bust of Mona Lisa,
B/W
NA pencil or ink NA Scailliérez 16, NA
right-handed three- image 8
quarter
representation
Study
Representation Artist Source Date
(name or
description)
*Detail of Mona Leonardo da Vinci Goldblatt 1961, 62 NA
Lisa with Plate XV
superimposed
geometrical designs
[extraction]
Radiography
Representation “Artist” Source Date
(name or
description)
*Face, B/W Leonardo da Vinci della Chiesa, 1967, NA
[Extraction] 10
La Joconde Laboratory of the Scailliérez 2003, 7 1951
radiography Museum of France
38
Photographic Negative
Representation Artist Source Date
(name or
description)
Photographic J. Margat della Chiesa 1967, 1959
negative 105, image XXI
Photographic NA McMullen 1977, NA
negative 219 image 130
Photographic abstraction
Representation Artist Source Date
(name or
description)
Face of sitter A. Snelling della Chiesa 1967, NA
widened as in mirror 105, image XXIX
effect, B/W
Profile of sitter, L. Vala della Chiesa 1967, NA
B/W 105, image XXX
The Mona Lisa as a NA della Chiesa 1967, NA
narrower image, 105, image XXXVI
B/W
Scientific
Representation Artist Source Date
(name or
description)
Squared Gioconda NA McMullen 1977 1973
231, image 141
Computerized
Representation Artist Source Date
(name or
description)
Striped Gioconda Shigeo Fukuda McMullen 1977, 1970
232 image 142
Abstract Gioconda Shigeo Fukuda McMullen 1977, 1970
232 image 143
39
40