Ah, the Mona Lisa. I have a funny story. When I saw the most famous painting in the world, I thought it was big. Why is this funny? Because everyone had told me how tiny it is, before I saw it. It is true that compared to Boticellli’s Birth of Venus or The Nightwatch by Rembrandt, the Mona Lisa is considerably smaller but it wasn’t the microscopic masterpiece that I was led to believe.

Rather than the size of the painting, though, I think she deserves to be looked at for another reason. She is symbolically lovely from a literary standpoint. She’s approachable, mysterious, and there’s more to her than originally meets the eye. That seems like a perfect recipe for a good book!

I also love the sfumato (shadowy setting) behind her. It serves to remind that the setting of a story is important, but that the characters should take center stage. 

My best to you all,
Megan