The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the world. It was painted by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci sometime between 1503 and 1519. The painting is a portrait of a woman with a mysterious smile. Her identity is still debated, but many believe she was Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine merchant.
______ The Mona Lisa is recovered in Italy. ______ Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa . ______ The painting is stolen from the Louvre. ______ The painting becomes famous worldwide.
| Word | Definition | |-------|-------------| | 1. portrait | A. a soft, smoky blending of colors | | 2. mysterious | B. a painting of a person | | 3. sfumato | C. difficult or impossible to understand or explain | | 4. recovered | D. got back something that was lost or stolen | | 5. bulletproof | E. designed to stop bullets |
What makes the Mona Lisa so special? First, Leonardo used a technique called sfumato , which means "smoky" in Italian. This technique blends colors and lines softly, creating a hazy, realistic effect. Second, the woman’s expression changes depending on where you look — sometimes she seems happy, sometimes sad.