Morris Githinji

 ART Student’s Name Institution Affiliations Professor’s Name Date of Submission Abstract Art is a way of arranging elements in a way that appeals in sense and emotions. Furthermore, it is a way of communicating oneself through a particular media. Art is diverse as there are many artists from different places in the world, with each using a different form of expression and expressing different ideas. Every artist has a different meaning of human concepts, thus mixed arts, each conveying different messages and to diverse audiences. Art has transformed through different times, passing through different periods, with each period having its range of artists. Artists have made names using their artwork. Some great artists have left the face of the earth, but their art is still impacting millions of lives and making rounds through generations. Some of the world's most exceptional pieces of art are in various museums around the world for storage for generations to come. Intended messages from the artists are still in circulation and increasing audiences daily. Introduction The Louvre Museum is the world’s largest art museum located in Paris, France. It contains artworks from some of the most iconic artists to ever walk the face of the earth. This art includes the artwork ‘Mona Lisa.’ The Mona Lisa is work done by the great Leonardo Da Vinci. Another museum of interest is Musco de Prado, which is the central Spanish art museum located in Madrid, Spain. Some of the artwork in it is ‘maids of honor’ by Diego Velazquez. Both these museums are keepers of fabulous art pieces from different artists from different art periods. This essay looks at both these art pieces and the impact they have on their audience as well as their meaning and why they are in existence. Mona Lisa The Mona Lisa is an art in the form of painting done by Leonardo da Vinci who was an Italian painter. It is a masterpiece of the Italian renaissance. The government of Italy currently owns it, and it hangs in the wall of the Louvre Museum. This painting is of the wife of Francesco del Gioconda hence the name La Gioconda. Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian polymath of the Renaissance. He had different areas of interest that included painting, drawing, inventions, architecture, math, science, among many others. In my understanding of the Mona Lisa, it is a painting where the painter was trying to show his prowess in the art by trying to bring out an almost replica of the painted subject. This painting has a cultural influence as it shows the image of a wife to one of the noblemen in Italy. The masterpiece is also an example of the many artworks done by one of Italy’s artists, and it serves as a cultural heritage for the nation. Historical elements in this painting are that it is in existence up to date from 1503. (Da Vinci,2015) Maids of honor The Maids of honor is a painting done in 1656 by Diego Velazquez, who was the leading artist in the Spanish Golden Age. Musco de Prado is the museum in Madrid where it currently hangs. Diego Velazquez was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was an individualistic artist in the Baroque period. (Kahr et al.,1975 ) In my understanding, this artwork depicts a magnificent family setting showing maidens offering their services to a little miss who seems to be part of the imperial family. Maids of honor is a painting showing Spanish culture. Like the Mona Lisa Maids of honor is has a history in it and clearly showing how an artist can clearly show his artwork in a sophisticated way for the understanding of recent generations. References Da Vinci, L. (2015). Mona Lisa. Becocci Editore.. Kahr, M. M. (1975). Velázquez and Las Meninas. The Art Bulletin, 57(2), 225-246. Appendix 1 Title: Mona Lisa Artist: Leonardo da Vinci Date:- Medium: oil on poplar panel Scale: 2835x4289 Appendix 2 Title: Las Meninas Artist: Diego Velazquez Date: 1656 Medium: oil on canvas Scale: 318x276 cm