Mona Lisa Smile

Naturally in the first day at the Louvre I did the tourist thing and saw the Mona Lisa. I guess for the most recognisable painting in Western art, it has a lot to live up to. It is in a temporary space while renovation is under way. Thus you get hearded through like sheep and was in different to the whole 'experience'.

Questions about whether she is 'smiling' so I guess I will have my 2cents. In all honesty, from a drawing point of view, it looks like she is slightly deformed, missing a few back teeth, so the lip rolls over in a funny way, creating an unsual shadow - which could look like a weird smile.

As people, we are wired to register the slightest up turn of the lip as a smile. Think of little babies - smile slightly at them and their faces light up - instinctual and arises from effectively being socialable monkeys. This just 'read' funny and not really a smile.

It was interesting as immediately after I saw the painting, I saw a reproduction and noticed the shadow is no where near as strongly reproduced in the reproduction - a case where you really need to see the painting in the flesh.