A Descriptive Critic’s Lens
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is a famous work of art that keeps alluring people across the globe to its location. The first aspect of this painting that a descriptive critic would note is that the portrait presents a 3/4 rotation of a depicted person, giving it a less static appearance. Since this type of analysis focuses on part-to-part and part-to-whole relationships, it would be critical to review how a background, while being highly detailed, does not conflict with the composition as a whole (Jacobus & Martin, 2019). A third design element is the predominant color of the portrait, which accentuates viewers’ attention on the depicted person’s face.
An Interpretive Critic’s Lens
Interpretive criticism of this piece of art calls for an understanding of the meaning behind it. In the case of the Mona Lisa, the focus of this type of assessment is drawn to the depicted person’s smile, which conveys a sense of calm and slight amusement (Haase, 2022). This work is not merely a display of one’s skill but a complex set of intertwined messages that creates a positive representation of the depicted person, highlighting her wisdom and natural beauty. The portrait strives to persuade the viewer of Mona Lisa’s grace, reservedness, and patience.
An Evaluative Critic’s Lens
An evaluative critic would note that the painting is as close to perfection as possible due to its lack of distracting elements and the prevalence of alluring forms. Moreover, Mona Lisa ushers one into exploring the details of this work through the sheer complexity and interconnection of its components, providing valuable insight into da Vinci’s intentions behind this painting. Finally, while this work is a portrait, it possesses a high level of uniqueness due to its exceedingly high quality for the sixteenth century. In conclusion, each type of criticism provides a different perspective on a work of art, exploring aspects that other options do not review.
References
Haase, F. (2022). Beyond Mona Lisa’s smile: A theoretical approach to the persuasion of likeness in the digital image. Digital Age in Semiotics & Communication, 5, 157–173. Web.
Jacobus, L. A., & Martin, F. D. (2019). Humanities through the arts (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.