In 1928, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania hosted the birth of a man that would soon change the face of modern art. Named Andrew Warhola, this was a man that was destined to rule Pop art and define its parameters, or most aptly, blur its lines. Andy Warhol paintings today are considered as priceless collectors item’s and even replica’s of his art work are considered as great additions to any home.
What fueled Warhol’s success was his paintings of pop culture and icons and this series began in the 1960’s. His first series of paintings were silkscreen images of cans of Campbells soup. This representation of everyday items was what spurred the pop art movement then. Warhol was seemingly showing the people how obsessed they were with consumerism and gave those everyday objects an iconic feel. Aside from the Campbells Soup Cans, Warhol also used other brands and images like boxes of Brillo, Coke bottles and even the American dollar bill.
The technique Warhol used, silkscreening, allowed him to do multiple images and use different colors and variances in the effect. This is what catapulted Warhol to stardom in the pop art world.
Already gaining recognition for his work, Andy Warhol then moved on from painting consumer images to concentrating on subjects which depicted the images of the popular figures in America in that era. This is when the famous paintings of Marilyn Monore, Jackie Onassis and Elvis Presley came to be. By that time, Andy Warhol’s paintings skyrocketed to popularity and he was producing paintings at a fast pace.
Exhibits of his works were being done everywhere and even overseas. Every image that he portrayed in his works became instant icons and he’s paintings was very much in demand. Warhol would soon use this new fund fame to cross the lines between commercialism and fine art, for which some people would wholeheartedly accept.
Warhol’s innovation in his works of art was by no means stagnant. Although he continued to make portraits of famous figures, moving on to Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger and others, he let go of his repetitive style that helped start his career. He still produced very colorful art works and moved on to different subjects that would shock yet delight the Art world.
Warhol’s paintings though were not entirely focused on the life of the rich and famous, he also dubbed with other themes and had some series of paintings as well that dealt with the social aspect of life. His series the death and disaster used heavily edited photographs and painted racism, electric chair executions, car accidents and such. Although these were not as popular nor as well accepted as his other paintings, the series still is a part of his genuine artistry.
Andy Warhol’s love for his pets also inspired a series of paintings dubbed as cats and dogs. An animal lover himself, Warhol painted cats that were photographed by a renowned cat photographer. And being a dog owner, he had two dogs at the least, he also produced images of his dogs.
Today, many Andy Warhol paintings are in great demand and command prices amounting to millions of dollars. His birthplace in Pennsylvania houses the Andy Warhol Museum and many collectors from all over the world hang their prized Andy Warhol paintings on their walls.
There are many great painters in history and one of the greatest is Leonardo da Vinci. He created many paintings which art lovers and experts loved. One of his greatest creations which millions of people all over the world from different periods loved is the Mona Lisa. This particular painting of Da Vinci captured the hearts of people because of Mona Lisa's captivating smile.
What's so great about the painting? Well, it took Leonardo over four years to finally finish the painting. After he finished working on the Mona Lisa, he carried the painting anywhere he went and he did this until he finally died. The painting never left his side when he was still alive and because of this, more and more people became truly interested on the Mona Lisa painting. They all wondered why Da Vinci painted it and what it was depicting.
Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa in Italy in 1503. The model was Lisa Ghirardi, the wife of Francesco del Giacondo. According to a biographer named Vasari, the painting was merely a commission. During the time the painting was being made, Ghirardi was pregnant with her second baby. Some other scholars said that the father of Leonardo was a friend of Francesco and that the painting was a gift commissioned by Leonardo's father. Despite the revealed facts, people still didn’t know why Leonardo da Vinci valued the Mona Lisa painting very much when he was still alive. Numerous theories still surfaced but no clear answer was established.
Not all people believed that the model in the painting was Lisa Ghirardi. Other theories have shown the model might be Aragon's Isabella or Constanza d'Avalos or even Milan's Duchess. However, the importance of the painting to Leonardo was still left unanswered. The attachment of Leonardo to the painting was still unknown.
Further theories were still formulated. According to another theory, the Mona Lisa was a self portrait of Leonardo because it was similar to the self portraits of the painter. The similarity of the facial features also postulated that the Mona Lisa was Leonardo's mother, Caterina and not Lisa Ghirardi.
All throughout Da Vinci's life, he was intrigued by anything found in the surroundings. He infused his interests to his various art works including that of Mona Lisa. He was very interested in topography and weather. In fact, the background of Mona Lisa shows the culmination of humanity with nature. All of Leonardo's works were important to him because it was his way of expressing his own life. The Mona Lisa painting was small and yet it took him over four years to complete. It may also be a representation of all his interests in life, and nothing more; only Leonardo knows the real reason of his attachment to the painting.
Four years work is no joke. He put a lot of his energy and time in painting the Mona Lisa. It became his masterpiece and it's not easy to part with something of great value. For over 500 years, people are still wondering what had happened. All sorts of questions are still being asked – why the painting was never bought, did Leonardo lose his commission, and many others. The real reason was buried with the painter and because of the public's great interest the painting is still very popular up to present.
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