By Paul Chong Thursday, 3 December 2009

Much has been written about this famous painting. Nat “King” Cole sang & endeared her to the hearts of music lovers. It’s that mystic smile of Mona Lisa that captured the hearts & imagination of art & music lovers alike. She’s so famous almost every country wants to lay hands on her. But they all look at her with different perspectives . . . and look at the ways she appears & displays herself according to the customs & traditions of the various countries!

According to Wikipedia, “Mona Lisa (also known as La Gioconda or La Joconde) is a 16th century portrait painted in oil on a poplar panel by Leonardo da Vinci during the Italian Renaissance. The work is owned by the Government of France and is on the wall in the Louvre in Paris, France with the title Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo. It is perhaps the most famous and iconic painting in the world.”

As portrayed below, different people look at Mona Lisa differently. When I first saw it way back in 1959 at the Lourve in Paris, I was told that her eyes would follow me with that matching mystic smile as I moved around to fathom her enigmatic look. Now, what happen when we move her across the world . . . ?

Which do you like best? As for me, Mona Lisa in Paris is still the best!