“Mona Lisa,” Print, 8″x11″, $5.75 Ea

Ever since painting began, the work of great masters has been imitated and copied by other painters. Copying the work of the masters does not only help encourage a good eye, and the development of technical expertise, it is also a satisfying experience to end up with a completed version of a painting that can be compared with the work of the master. Here is my Chinese brush painting of “Mona Lisa” in black ink. The original “Mona Lisa,” oil on panel, was created by the Italian artist, Leonardo (1452-1519) in 1502. This is arguably the world’s most famous painting. Leonardo was a tireless experimenter and this portrait is evidence of his inquisitive mind, both in his rendering of the individual character of the model through her secretive smile, and the innovative pictorial effects that he developed in the new medium of oil painting. Next to Michelangelo, Leonardo was the most famous Renaissance artist.