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Article contributed by Catherine South
(Check out our complete collection of 100+ Works of Creative and Geeky Art and Graffiti.)
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa has taken to the streets, appearing in urban graffiti murals around the world.
Da Vinci’s painting of the young woman has raised many questions over the years, such as, “Who was she?â€? and “What was she smiling about?â€? The mystery of the painting has inspired many artists duplicate Da Vinci’s masterpiece in many mediums.
Following are a few examples of Mona appearing in various works of graffiti artists.
The first picture shown here, a stenciled work depicting Mona in red, with a star on a necklace and a bottle in her hand, appeared in Russia. As with all graffiti, the interpretation of the piece is left up to the viewer. However, the red coloring and the star may be linked to the artist’s views on communism, as these are well-known symbols for the political system.
Mona has also appeared on a wall in Portugal, in another stenciled piece. Although the artwork carries no symbolic content, it may have been produced out of appreciation for Da Vinci’s work.
The whereabouts of the following piece is unsure. This graffiti displays two separate styles, and it is thought that the eyes, nose and mouth were painted by a different artist to the one who painted the ears, hair, shoulders and wings.
In a controversial piece appearing in England; Mona is depicted bending over and lifting up her skirt. This piece has been considered offensive by some, but as with a lot of graffiti art the artist challenges common public beliefs, in this case, the belief that the Mona Lisa figure is chaste and pure.
This artwork, in Porto, Portugal, shows Mona in a baseball cap and related attire. Perhaps a symbol of national pride?
This stenciled piece appeared overnight, in Cardiff, England, before being painted over the next day.
The painting of Mona, in New York, USA, may not be in existence anymore, as it was created at a construction site, and the area was in the process of being demolished when the photo was taken.
A stenciled artwork, in Bergen, Norway, shows Mona holding a brush and painting over herself. The artist, Dolk, called this piece “The Last Mona�. The motives of this piece are questionable. Is the artist stating that the Mona Lisa as a subject in modern art is no longer creative? Or perhaps that if Mona were alive today, she would not wish to be the focus of so much public scrutiny. The viewer must interpret the work for themselves.
Mona has appeared in London, in what seems to be a politically motivated artwork by the stencil artist Banksy. She is shown wielding a deadly weapon, yet still has her notably mysterious smile.
Many paintings gain popularity and then fall from the public eye. Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa has been an inspirational force for many artists, and it seems that she lives on, gaining immortality through the works of others, and always with her mysterious smile. The popularity of her image outlives the lifespan of the artworks in which she is depicted, as they are often destroyed during renovations or painted over.
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21 Comments
July 6th, 2008 at 3:15 am
lol
July 6th, 2008 at 4:37 am
I love the stencil found in Cardiff
July 6th, 2008 at 8:01 am
I’ve recently found out that the stencil in Cardiff was created by an artist called Nick Walker and is often confused with a Banksy work, because of the similarities in style.
July 6th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Nice.. big on Urban Art.. yep love Banksy :). Great Banksy book out called ..wait for it… ‘Wall and Piece’ :) .. £20 from all good book shops.
Dface is another great graff / stencil artist
Jay
July 6th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I saw a mona lisa stencil in vegas, on on old abandoned casino.
July 7th, 2008 at 5:23 am
Cardiff is NOT in England!
It is in fact the capital city of Wales.
You could say it was in the UK without offending anybody (well - not nearly as many anyway).
July 7th, 2008 at 9:52 am
This makes me wonder, if Da Vinci had painted in modern day, where copyright is common to protect artists original creations, would the Mona Lisa still have the same culture influence and ‘copy-cat’ adoration it had today
July 7th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Dude those are some pretty good paintings.
http://www.FireMe.To/udi
July 7th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Cardiff is in the UK. You cannot offend anyone by saying that. However, it is true that Cardiff is not in England. London is in England, Cardiff is in Wales. England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are all in the UK, or United Kingdom-however, they are four seperate countries. Now, the UK and Great Britain are not the same. Great Britian only consists of the island of countries-England, Wales, and Scotland.
The main concern I have is that people cannot take the time to put something in about the art, they just bicker about if someone said something and do not mention how unique, intersting, and creative the artwork is. Even if you do not like it, please say something about it. That was what the site was intended for. As a young Urbanist and printmaking artist, I appreciate the Mona Lisa variations. I hope to see them in Portugal, NYC, etc.
July 7th, 2008 at 11:01 am
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mar00ned/109596142/
July 7th, 2008 at 11:31 am
I like the one in Cardiff, why did they paint over it!?
In the third picture, i think the eyes and lips are drawn so well, even a blind person could say it was monalisa. I hate that it was spoilt by the second person who drew the childlike face nad shoulders.
Great article.
July 8th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Don’t have a pic, but there’s an awesome mural involving Mona Lisa in the outdoor patio of a fav restaurant of mine in Decatur, Georgia. It’s Mona Lisa eating a burrito, which sounds tackier than it is. Well done.
P.S. Happy to see somebody complain about the “Cardiff, England” reference. Wales doesn’t have a lot of cities so give credit where it’s due!
July 8th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Excuse me, where did you say Cardiff was?!
July 8th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Excuse me, where did you say Cardiff was?! And what’s that about Wales not having a lot of cities? (not that it isn’t true, it’s just that some people might find such a remark offensive!) By the way, Mona in Norway - nice one!
July 8th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
The title of your article caught my eye. Great job on this piece. I really enjoyed it!
July 11th, 2008 at 5:12 am
I like the Cidsoe one, I think it stands out from the rest. I really enjoyed reading this. Great work.
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