Michelangelo and Da Vincis Paintings - Essay Example

In the painting Mona Lisa, there are no hard lines or curves but seamless switches between dark and light. The painter wanted to explore different techniques in oil paint such as chiascuro or the contrast between light and dark.

               The Last Judgment is stuffed with nude figures and actions depicting violence. It was criticized as offensive because it contains bodies that were naked and placed behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel. Michaelangelo used The Last Judgment painting to communicate about counter-reformation. He used his techniques of painting such as the broader and monochromatic figures to make a change and create a new standard. Artists in Medieval times create paintings with figures dressed presenting their social ranks. Michaelangelo on the other hand presented figures without clothes to show equality. I think Michaelangelo’s work wanted to express his opposition on how the people valued social classes during their times. I believe he wanted to promote equality among the people. He wanted to convey that people should not be judged according to their classes and according to how they dress. In his painting, he stripped the figures bare of rank.

               Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is one of the most legendary and well-known portraits of all time. The model of the painting is Lisa, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. The painting wanted to convey mystery and enchantment with her ambiguous smile. The figure depicts a very simple portrait. Mona Lisa looks directly at the spectator but her arms, torso, and her head are twisted finely in a different direction portraying a captured sense of movement. In this painting, Leonardo did not boldly express his message of the painting. Until now, people still are uncertain why he painted Mona Lisa in such away. The only thing certain in this painting is that Leonardo the Vinci wanted to make her smile mysterious to enchant people to keep on thinking about her. The painting also showed how Leonardo viewed the natural world. The background shows rock formations and snaky rivers which portray instability, movement, and energy.