Today, we compiled some lovable Mona Lisa quotes to celebrate one the most famous and iconic paintings in the world.
In the world of art, there are few paintings as well-known or as iconic as Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” Painted between 1503 and 1519, the “Mona Lisa” has become one of the most widely-reproduced and parodied works of art in history.
In her lifetime, the Mona Lisa was known as “La Gioconda,” the smiley one. The Mona Lisa is a portrait of a woman thought to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. The painting is currently on display at the Louvre in Paris.
Due to its popularity, the Mona Lisa has been quoted by many people over the years, including artists, musicians, and writers. Here are some of the most famous Mona Lisa quotes:
Inspirational Mona Lisa quotes
There are a few things in life that are universally understood to be enigmatic – and the Mona Lisa is certainly one of them. For centuries, people have gazed upon Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait of the woman with the mysterious smile and attempted to decipher her hidden meaning. While we may never know for sure what the Mona Lisa is thinking, these Mona Lisa quotes about the painting will definitely make you think.
“The Mona Lisa is the world’s most overrated painting. It’s just a portrait of some Italian lady who probably had bad breath.”
Jerry Seinfeld
“It is not enough to deface the Mona Lisa because that does not kill the Mona Lisa. All art of the past must be destroyed.”
Pierre Boulez
“I suggested that it was not enough to add a moustache to the Mona Lisa: it should simply be destroyed.”
Pierre Boulez
“Burn the Louvre, and wipe your ass with the Mona Lisa. This way at least, God would know our names.”
Chuck Palahniuk
“The horizon is an imaginary line that recedes as you approach it.”
Ginnifer Goodwin
“Mona Lisa is the only beauty who went through history and retained her reputation.”
Will Rogers
“One minute you’re bleeding. The next minute you’re hemorrhaging. The next minute you’re painting the Mona Lisa.”
Mac O’Grady
“If I had a euro for every stupid thing I’ve done, I could buy the Mona Lisa.”
Stephanie Perkins
“Look beyond the paint. Let us try to open our minds to a new idea.”
Julia Roberts
“I feel like vocals are to music what portraits are to painting. They’re the humanity. Landscapes are good and fine, but at the end of the day everyone loves the Mona Lisa.”
Grimes
Famous Mona Lisa quotes
There are many famous Mona Lisa quotes that have been said over the years that make the people from all over the world come to see it and admire its beauty. Check out this list!
“You should definitely visit the Louvre, a world-famous art museum where you can view, at close range, the backs of thousands of other tourists trying to see the Mona Lisa.”
Dave Barry
“A lotta cats copy the Mona Lisa, but people still line up to see the original.”
Louis Armstrong
“You cannot paint the Mona Lisa by assigning one dab each to a thousand painters.”
William F. Buckley, Jr.
“Mona Lisa looks as if she has just been sick, or is about to be.”
Noel Coward
“You wouldn’t get rid of the Mona Lisa just because someone painted another picture of a woman smiling.”
Clive Rowe
“Leonardo’s Mona Lisa is just a thousand thousand smears of paint. Michelangelo’s David is just a million hits with a hammer. We’re all of us a million bits put together the right way.”
Chuck Palahniuk
“I was to Japanese visitors to Washington what the Mona Lisa is to Americans visiting Paris.”
John C. Danforth
“What is Mona Lisa thinking? Nothing, of course. Her blankness is her menace and our fear. […] Walter Pater is to call her a ’vampire,’ coasting through history on her secret tasks.”
Camille Paglia
“Did you ever see that painting the Mona Lisa. It always reminds me of a reporter listening to a politician.”
Robert Orben
“We look at the Mona Lisa and say we’re going to do our version of the Mona Lisa. We mirror it. But exaptation would say that painting the Mona Lisa would lead to a whole new place…Bugs Bunny.”
Terrance Hayes
Leonardo a Vinci Mona Lisa quotes
There are many famous Mona Lisa quotes that have been said throughout the years. Some of these quotes are thought-provoking, and make us think about the painting in a different light.
“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”
Leonardo da Vinci
This quote makes us think about how we perceive art, and how it can affect us on an emotional level.
“With all due respect, the Mona Lisa is overrated.”
Paulo Coelho
“I see nothing in it but a lot of old paint.”
Oscar Wilde
This quote makes us question what we really see when we look at a work of art. Is it just a bunch of colors, or is there something more to it?
“Nothing is static. Even the Mona Lisa is falling apart. Since fight club, I can wiggle half the teeth in my jaw. Maybe self-improvement isn’t the answer. Maybe self-destruction is the answer.”
Chuck Palahniuk
“Why do people go to the Louvre? They go to see the Mona Lisa. Why do they go to see the Mona Lisa? Because they already know what she looks like.”
William Noel
“Also, since art is a vehicle for the transmission of ideas through form, the reproduction of the form only reinforces the concept. It is the idea that is being reproduced. Anyone who understands the work of art owns it. We all own the Mona Lisa.”
Sol LeWitt
“Mona Lisa must have had the highway blues; you can tell by the way she smiles.”
Bob Dylan
“Da Vinci painted one Mona Lisa. Beethoven composed one Fifth Symphony. And God made one version of you.”
Max Lucado
“I really believe that if you practice enough you could paint the ’Mona Lisa’ with a two-inch brush.”
Bob Ross
Quotes about Mona Lisa
When it comes to the Mona Lisa, there are a lot of things that people can say about her. But there are also a lot of things that people can’t say about her, because she’s just so darn mysterious. Nevertheless, over the years, there have been a few Mona Lisa quotes that have captured our hearts.
“Rock and Roll adolescent hoodlums storm the streets of all nations. They rush into the Louvre and throw acid in the Mona Lisa’s face.”
William S. Burroughs
“A smile is worth a thousand words.”
American Proverb
“The Mona Lisa is the world’s most overrated painting.”
Kanye West
“Well, is it pornography or is it art? Well as far as I’m concerned, the Mona Lisa is art.”
Shaun Micallef
“La Gioconda is so beautiful that she makes the sun jealous.”
Gabriele D’Annunzio
“The first time I saw her, I was transported into another world.”
Pablo Picasso
“I was sick of people making fun of my hair and so I cut it off and I’ve got much more attention than ever before. It was like when Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in – three times more people came to see where it used to be.”
Emo Philips
“The Mona Lisa, to me, is the greatest emotional painting ever done.”
Walter Isaacson
“I had this relationship with the Mona Lisa painting and I thought it was important to look further. In a time that was very masculine, Leonardo da Vinci took a feminist approach.”
Fab Moretti
“She is older than the rocks among which she sits; like the tornado that whirls its victim round and round, she has whirled many a man and woman round and round her magic circle.”
Henry Adams
Meaningful Mona Lisa quotes
The Mona Lisa is one of the most iconic paintings in the world. But what makes this painting so special? For many, it’s the enigmatic smile of the subject that seems to speak directly to the viewer. Here are some of our favorite Mona Lisa quotes that make you smile:
“The beauty of this world lies in the diversity of its people!”
Yarrive Konsky
“The smile of a rose uplifts the nightingale.”
Georgian Proverb
“A smiling face dispels unhappiness.”
Nigerian Proverbs
“The way the smile flickers makes it a work of both art and science, because Leonardo understood optics, and the muscles of the lips, and how light strikes the eye – all of it goes into making the Mona Lisa’s smile so mysterious and elusive.”
Walter Isaacson
“I don’t want to say too many words about the magic of the Cube, because it’s basically a mystery. It’s like the Mona Lisa smile.”
Erno Rubik
“Leonardo Da Vinci painted this thing – this is unreal that he touched that. It had this crazy effect on me.”
Brian Fallon
“Even if you can’t afford to buy a painting, you can experience it. You can go see the Mona Lisa and be transported. You can see the discipline and suffering in a van Gogh.”
Adrien Brody
“The way da Vinci was looking at Mona Lisa, you know, there’s an interesting backdrop.”
Pharrell Williams
“It’s a great piece of art. It moves us. It makes us wonder, makes us gape – finally makes us look inward at ourselves.”
Tim O’Brien
“Mona Lisa, you are so beautiful that I can hardly take my eyes off you…and yet, I find myself constantly drawn back to your enigmatic smile. What is it that you know that I don’t?”
Spherequotes
Final thought
In conclusion, the Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile has been the subject of much speculation, and her mysterious beauty has captivated viewers for centuries. While the Mona Lisa may never give up her secrets, she continues to entrance and inspire people from all walks of life.
After browsing our joyful list, it is evidence that the Mona Lisa quotes show the depth of appreciation that people have for the painting. The quotes in this article capture the essence of the painting and provide food for thought. It is clear that the Mona Lisa is more than just a pretty face.
Did you enjoy our collection of Mona Lisa quotes? Did you find your favorite one? With many to choose from, there’s bound to be one that speaks to you. So take your time, browse through the collection, and find the perfect quote for your next Instagram caption or Facebook post.
Read more: sketch quotes | drawing quotes.