Cameron Miller Assignment 1A Rhetorical Reflection Section HA-McGough September 8, 2013 The Mona Lisa When the Mona

Lisa first saw the light of the Italian sun, it was meant to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci for her husband, Francesco del Giocondo, as a house decoration and to celebrate the birth of their second son. Da Vinci first started the artistic piece sometime in the year 1503 and did most of his work upon it through 1506, though it is believed that he continued to work on the piece until 1517. The original audience of the Mona Lisa was not meant to extend beyond the Giocondo family, but oddly enough, Da Vinci never delivered the piece to the family. He instead passed it on to his assistant at the time of his death. There is no definite interpretation of the work as Lady Gherardinis expression is very ambiguous. This very expression can be interpreted multiple ways and has been over the years. I believe that because of this vagueness in expression the Mona Lisa is successfully brought forward into our modern setting by for our class room because of its past rhetorical uses, and its present rhetorical uses. Firstly, in looking at past rhetorical situations of the Mona Lisa, not much was done with it. The painting couldnt be mass reproduced like it is today in our visual culture so nothing significant could have been changed in the picture. Instead the past rhetorical situation was more focused on contemplation because of its lack of a clear path rather than manipulation. Critics wanted to ponder what she was thinking or what the painting was meant to be about. They pondered what it did to them rather than what it did for them. Secondly, moving the painting forward to today allowed for the painting to enter into the mass reproduction and usage of our capitalist society. This allowed it to be reproduced at a persons leisure and for their own means. The reproduction in the textbook seems to play upon the vagueness of the Mona Lisa by twisting her non-descript expression into something it can use to its benefit. In this case the reproduction exploits the simplicity of her expression to convey the simplicity of a breathing enhancer as stylish and something that people should not be ashamed to wear. Going into the future, this vague expression will give the Mona Lisa even greater longevity as the Mona Lisa will be used to suit the various needs that come up in our ever growing trade society. The Mona Lisa is a great cultural icon that has made many gaze and contemplate in wonder. It has stood the test of time as a painting that satisfies past and present rhetorical settings and it is successfully reproduced in our textbooks to fulfill a classroom use. As the Mona Lisa continues to age and our society matures, her relevance also seems to mature as well.

Works Cited "Mona Lisa Facts and Speculations."Kleio. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2013. <http://www.kleio.org/en/history/monalisa/m