Weird History
Who the People In Famous Paintings Actually Were
Ever wonder about the identity of the woman posing for the Mona Lisa, or think about the life of the “farmers” depicted in American Gothic? Check out who the people in these 12 famous paintings actually were. Artists Leonardo da Vinci,...
Curated Video
Why is the Background of the Mona Lisa Unique?
Leonardo da Vinci's understanding of the natural world and the forces that shape it influenced every aspect of his artwork, from the foreground to the background. Learn how aerial perspective and the horizon line create the illusion of...
Curated Video
Mona Lisa del Giocondo
In 1550, art historian Giorgio Vasari noted in his book on Renaissance artwork that, "Leonardo undertook to execute, for Francesco del Giocondo, the portrait of Mona Lisa, his wife." But there was dispute about Mona Lisa's true identity...
Curated Video
Mona Lisa: the Universal Portrait
Leonardo da Vinci once said that "art is never finished, just abandoned." Art, science, and the natural world were not separate subjects for da Vinci. He was a man who never stopped learning and it seems fitting that we never seem to...
Curated Video
What Technique and Materials Did da Vinci Use to Create the Mona Lisa?
Why do Mona Lisa's eyes seem to be looking at us, no matter where we stand? The answer has to do with a set of meticulous artistic choices that da Vinci used for this portrait. Learn how Leonardo da Vinci used the verdaccio, chiaroscuro,...
Curated Video
The Mona Lisa: Introduction to the Painting and the Painter
Leonardo da Vinci was a prolific artist and scientist. His intricate anatomical illustrations informed the structure of his most famous painting - the Mona Lisa. It is a painting of an ordinary woman that has inspired extraordinary...
Curated Video
Who Stole the Mona Lisa?
In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. The theft drew more attention to the portrait at the same time that photography brought copies of the image to people all around the world. This surely raised the Mona Lisa's popularity,...
Curated Video
What is Mona Lisa Wearing?
Or rather, what is she not wearing? Mona Lisa's simple clothing and lack of jewelry ensure that viewers focus on the face, rather than her clothing. How many copies were made of the Mona Lisa? Learn how Leonardo da Vinci used the...
Curated Video
Mona Lisa's Eyes and Intricacies of Her Smile
Leonardo da Vinci spent a lot of time dissecting cadavers and studying the structure of muscles in the body. He had a particular interest in how emotions are translated into expression using the facial muscles. He was also interested in...
Curated Video
Pyramid Shape Composition of the Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa's stature and expression seem normal today, but were rather groundbreaking at the time. Portraits of Italian women usually depicted them in profile or looking down. Never looking at the audience as da Vinci does with Mona Lisa....
Schooling Online
Perfecting Poetry: Rosemary Dobson - Introduction to Rosemary Dobson
Meet Rosemary Dobson, a great Australian poet. Find out who she was, where she came from and why her poems are remarkable. We’ll look at her personal and contextual influences, which ranged from her Australian identity to Classical art....
NPR: National Public Radio
Npr: George Washington Crossing the Delaware
National Public Radio takes a revisionist look at Emmanuel Leutze's famous and fanciful painting that is more folklore, legend, and political statement than fact.