Mona Lisa Vs. Self-portrait With Monkey
Art has been a part of our society forever. Anywhere from expensive to cheap or modern-day to old classics, we are all able to enjoy great pieces of art and what they represent. Art has a beauty within it that it can be interpreted in many different ways, it all depends on the person. The two pieces I will be comparing and contrasting are the Mona Lisa and Self-portrait with Monkey. These two paintings were created by two totally different people. The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. And Frida Kahlo is the woman who painted Self-portrait with Monkey. The two pieces of artwork, Mona Lisa and Self-portrait with Monkey, have more differences than they have similarities.
Starting out with some basic differences. These painters share nothing but a few of the same letters in their names. These two paintings were not created during the same time. They were created with over a four-hundred-year gap between them. The Mona Lisa was originally painted from 1503 to 1506 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica write. The painting Self-portrait with Monkey was created in the year 1938 says Frida Kohlo website fridakohlo.org. It is obvious that Frida Kahlo knows how to get things finished, unlike the leisurely Leonardo da Vinci. This gap in time is obvious to the eye because of the style and colors used within the paintings. The cultural difference is one of the major differences between the two paintings being compared. The Mona Lisa gives off a European look, especially through the clothes the woman in the painting is wearing. This makes sense with the time period of when this was painted along with the fact that it was painted in France. The look that the woman in the Self-portrait with Monkey shows me that this involves old heritage from a country. Upon research, this painting was made in Mexico and resembles Mexican heritage stated in the website fridakohlo.org, which makes sense when taking a close look at the homemade necklace.
Continuing on with more differences let’s talk more about the art pieces. The main component that is different is the color scheme. The Self-portrait with Monkey is a more colorful painting. This makes the overall mood of the painting happier. The color scheme in the Mona Lisa are more dark and gloomy. The dark colors give off a depressing vibe when I look at and interpret this work of art. I think Leonardo may have been in a little bit of a depressing state compared to Frida. The backgrounds of each work of art are different in a few ways. The Self-portrait with Monkey shows a bright, green, and defined background. The dark and undefined nature scene from the Mona Lisa is quite the opposite.
Afar from the differences between these two paintings has some similarities as well. The main defining similarity is the women in these paintings. They both depict the look of strong women. It think these artists intended on that because it adds character to the painting themselves. Another similarity is that each woman has a defining characteristic like their skin and eyebrows that make each woman beautiful. The Mona Lisa shows the woman with her glowing pale skin and no eyebrows. The overgrown eyebrows and tan skin of the girl in the Self-portrait with Monkey make for some defining features. One thing that both artists could agree on was the use of oil paints. With my art background, I believe they used oil paints for an opaque look for a stronger result. The last similarity is the look that these women have on their faces. They have a look that is not quite smiling but they almost have smirked. It seems as they know their worth and they don’t care about others’ thoughts about them. We could all learn a lesson or two from these strong-looking women.
The Self-portrait with Monkey and the Mona Lisa are very different from each other. They were made during completely different time periods. The two paintings depict totally different cultures. The color schemes of the paintings oppose each other completely. They may show similarities at times however not enough to overthrow the differences.
