Linnea Camat

W01109161
March 13, 2014


Mona Lisa and Isabella DEste
The Mona Lisa (1503-1506) and the Portrait of Isabella DEste (1534-1536) are two well-
known works painted by their equally well-known artists, Leonardo Da Vinci and Titian. Both
paintings are portraits of prominent women during the sixteenth century. The Mona Lisa is
thought to be a depiction of 24-year old Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo, the wife of a wealthy
Florentine merchant, though experts are not exactly sure since Da Vinci didnt deliver it to the
original commissioner and kept it for his personal collection. Isabella DEste is a portrait of the
marchesa of Mantua, an avid patron of the arts as well as a successful diplomat and
administrator who had appointed Titian to depict her in her youth. The social standings of these
women are shown in their clothing shown in the small elaborate designs of Lisas bodice, the
even more intricate designs of Isabellas sleeves, her headdress and earrings.
The Mona Lisa is a painting that strays from traditional portraiture in so many ways.
She is painted with no jewelry, unusual for married young wealthy women. The half-length
figure and pyramidal form of her body was another separation in portraiture practice. But, the
most outstanding breakage of tradition was the womans facial expression. Mysteriously, her eyes
look directly at the viewer with a sort of coldness. This, accompanied by her light smile, creates
one the most enigmatic expressions and presences that is unique and iconic to this painting
alone. The mysteriousness of the Mona Lisa is aided by a painting technique achieved by
Leonardo Da Vinci called sfumato. Sfumato is a technique used to show the boundaries of the
figures using light and gradation without using harsh lines or borders. The hazy mountain scene
in the backdrop is the first example of sfumato. The second is in how Da Vinci painted her
hands. They are not outlined by any bold lines but are defined by the use of light and shadow,
using the contrast between those to show where the figure ended. Da Vinci further increased
the atmospheric look by adding a lightly tinted layer of varnish on the surface of the painting to
create that smoky haze that is in likeness to the daylight at dusk.
Isabella DEste was also a painting worth noticing. It does not make a statement much
through the technique of the painting like Da Vinci but through the representation of the
subject. Isabella was well in her sixties when she asked Titian to paint her as if she was in her
youth. Titian answers to this and paints her in her youth. She sits very upright and stiff,
showing that she is an important woman, in addition to the her lavish clothing and hard
demeanor. But her exposed skin tones and features show a softer youthful side, displaying her
almost pale skin and reddened cheeks. Both contrasts together show a very sever sensuality to
the marchioness, especially when it comes to her exposed skin and decorative outfit.
Both paintings reveal their subjects personalities in different ways, but with such
potency in their disposition. Da Vinci and Titian used the womens demeanors as well as other
techniques in order to fully achieve the presence of the individual women in their portraits,
making sure that their identities are forever remembered in their portraits.