Diving into the literal and figurative layers behind that mysterious smile to explain why the Mona Lisa still matters

Ceaselessly flocked by tourists at the Louvre Museum in Paris, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (1503-17) is perhaps the world’s most recognisable work of art. Yet, when you consider that the painting is a small and rather innocuous portrait of a silk-merchant’s wife, it’s easy to wonder – why is that, exactly? In this instalment of his YouTube series Great Art Explained, the UK curator, gallerist and video essayist James Payne argues that the famed depiction of a lady with wandering eyes and a slight smile isn’t just an inescapable cultural meme, but a bonafide masterpiece as well.[…]

Source: Not just a meme, but a masterpiece – why the Mona Lisa earns its exalted place in art | Aeon Videos