The Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo DaVinci in 1517, is one of the most recognizable artworks in the world today. We all know the Mona Lisa’s infamous smile and the mysterious look. We have all probably asked ourselves, “What is she thinking?” Almost 400 years later, in 1919, Marcel Duchamp would paint a mustache and beard onto a reproduction of DaVinci’s Mona Lisa. As leader of the DaDa art movement, he was mocking the ideas of conventional art. Today, nearly one hundred years after Duchamp’s mustache and beard, there are thousands of parodies of the Mona Lisa to be found. And she is not the only one! There are just as many “remixes” of Michelangelo’s famous painting The Creation of Adam. This week, we discuss how these two iconic paintings of the Italian Renaissance are now used to reflect a vastly different world.
Instructions
Keep the “parody/remix” tradition going by finding and submitting a parody of either the Mona Lisa or The Creation of Adam. Please share the image or provide a link to the image.
In one to two complete sentences, tell us why the parody you selected stuck out to you.
In two to four sentences, explain if you think the “remix” you chose is using the original to make a statement. What statement is the image making?
Finally, in two to four complete sentences, discuss what your thoughts are on creating these parodies. How were these images used to reflect the 21st century? Is this mockery or flattery?