The painting represents a mysterious woman from the waist up, with a distant landscape of what appears to be a river and trees as the backdrop. Her hands rest at her waist while her smile captivates the audience. No one is quite sure what emotion the woman is feeling, making viewer even more curious about the lady portrayed.
I believe the genre of the oil painting of the Mona Lisa is expressionism. I say this because the work does not appear to have a clear objective in mind. Instead, Leonardo uses the woman's body language and facial expressions to give off a subjective tone for the viewer to interpret on their own. A person is the perfect subject for this genre of art, due to our complex emotionally capacity and aura that we give off merely by standing a certain way, or our hands being in a certain position in front of our body.
This painting was created during the time of the Renaissance, which was a period in European history where cultural and artistic thought began to flourish. Prior to the Mona Lisa, the three-quarter view, in which the subject is turned towards the viewer, broke the mold of the standard profile view that was commonly used in Italian art. It was so revolutionary that it eventually became the standard that most portraits would follow. This new way of creating artwork was the epitome of the Renaissance. Leonardo expanded our knowledge of what art and expression could be by doing things different from everyone else.
The Mona Lisa give one a sense of peace and harmony. The woman's calm, relaxed face and slight smile, along with the still waters and beautiful valleys in the backdrop further this feeling of serenity. With the expansion of human thought and understanding, it is possible that Leonardo was trying to make the connection of humanity and nature. A cosmic link that the two share with one another.
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