When viewing art there are various levels of observation. One can approach the artwork in a very surface manner. In the case of these two portraits, they depict serene women. In order to fully appreciate a deeper revelation, the viewer must investigate the comparative aspects of each painting, individually and in contrast to each other. Possibly the most recognized painting, in the history of art, is the Mona Lisa, by Leonardo Da Vinci. The opposing portrait is that of Magdalena Doni, painted by Raphael Sanzio. In a quick glance they both appear to be quite similar, but in fact there are many contrasting aspects. At the same time, apparently obvious to the viewer, is that the two paintings also compare quite readily. Is the Magdalena Doni an attempt to copy, as it were, the romanticized and renowned qualities that the Mona Lisa possesses? Or is it mere coincidence that they appear so similar? It is the focus of this essay to expose those similarities and differences.
The title Mona Lisa was given to the above painting on the left, not by Leonardo Da Vinci himself, but from a biography of the artist. It depicts Lisa, the wife of an affluent Italian businessman, as the model. The name Mona is short for “my lady” in Italian. The title therefore alludes to “My Lady Lisa.” (“Mona Lisa”) This has been the accepted name for this smiling beauty throughout history. Leonardo initially started working on this portrait in 1503 and finished a few years later. (“Mona Lisa”)
The portrait is of a young women sitting in front of a landscape, positioned at a slight angle to the viewer. Her hands crossed over at the wrists, suggest a natural appearance. There is a slight sense of movement to the top hand. It would appear as if she is in the process of lifting her hand, in an attempt to reach out to the viewer, in a gesture. (“Da Vinci”) She is peering out from the corner of her eyes, in a manner that suggests that she knows something. In conjunction with her enigmatic, mysterious smile, as it has been referred to, it intimates she is thinking. It is as if she holds a secret. (Flemming…) (“Da Vinci”) The overall color palette utilized incorporates dark browns, deep greens, and pale cream and beige hues. The overall impact is very dull and muted. There is a glow to her face as well as highlighting her hands. There is a sense of peace and calmness as she sits on a terrace in front of a background that incorporates a landscape of paths, a bridge and distant mountains. One of the distinct styles of Leonardo Da Vinci, utilized here, is his blurred outlines and use of light and dark contrasts. (“Mona Lisa”) (Flemming…) With her unfathomable smile, the Mona Lisa has become one of the world’s most known paintings.
The Magdalena Doni is one of the many painted portraits by Raphael Sanzio. It contains many of his characteristic traits. His traits include the use of clearly defined lines and a polished, finished appearance. It is unclear as to who the model for this portrait was. There is evidence that she was a widely used model, a Florentine beauty of the Doni family in Italy. (Murphy) (“Raphael…”)
The portrait of Magdalena Doni is of a stately, aristocratic woman peering directly at the viewer. Her right hand sits peacefully on her left wrist. She is adorned with a large necklace and several rings on her fingers. She exudes a sense of nobility about her. In the background are soft rolling hills, with a single, thin and wispy tree standing to her right. The background expresses no intrigue or an ongoing mystery. Her posture has a minor twist to her upper torso. She sits with a rigid posture. The expression on her face holds a slight melancholy downturn to her mouth. It appears as if she is board from modeling and gazes beyond the painter. The colors are bright, bold and rich. There is an air of nobility to her, of which the colors amplify. Her sleeves are painted a deep ultramarine blue. Her corset is that of a red-orange, with deep brown trimmings. She seems to be wrapped in a translucent shawl. The portrait has an overall brightness and her face, neck and upper chest have a creamy, beige, medieval pale quality to it.
There is an immediate, obvious comparison between these two portraits. They both are of women with a similar posture, that of a slightly turned upper torso. They are positioned in front of a landscaped background. Their expressions hold a sense of mystery and hidden, unrevealed emotions. They are both sitting with hands overlapping. The portraits begin from the waist up. Structurally, the portraits form a pyramid shape, the base being their overlapping hands rising to a point at the top of their heads. It would appear as if the Magdalena Doni is to some extent a copy of the Mona Lisa in its immediate comparison. It is noted that Raphael was inspired by Leonard Da Vinci in many ways (“Raphael…”), and this may have been his attempt to capture the notoriety that Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa holds. However, there is no evidence to support that claim.
In a closer examination of the two portraits, there are many contrasting aspects to be revealed. Primarily, the use of intense color in the Magdalena Doni is a distinct difference verses the monotone darkness that the Mona Lisa possesses. Secondly, it appears that the woman portrayed in the Magdalena Doni is of a higher class. Adorned with jewelry, fine clothing and hair styled, she sits with an air of nobility. In contrast to the Magdalena Doni’s stately presence, the Mona Lisa comes across as a women of lesser status. She has no jewelry; her clothing is of an un-noteworthy, drab and dull quality. Mona Lisa seems to be a “plain-Jane.” A major disparity between the two is the obvious facial expression that they are communicating. The Mona Lisa has that now famous mysterious smile, verses the somewhat expressionless quality of the Magdalena Doni. It would appear that there is something going on in the mind of Mona Lisa, where as the Magdalena expresses a blank and featureless reflection. In contrasting the backgrounds employed, it is apparent that the Magdalena Doni sits in front of a bright, blue day lit sky. There is a feeling of cheerfulness, a light heartedness to it. The background in the Mona Lisa expresses a darker, mysterious, dreamlike reality, a somber quality to augment her puzzling smile. The Mona Lisa has a greater sense of depth to the overall mood of the painting. The Magdalena Doni comes across as what it is, a portrait of a wealthy woman. Where as the Mona Lisa appears to have been painted as a way of presenting a philosophical query, not so much a portrait but as a way of stimulating dialogue.
What appears to be at the outset, two similar paintings, in actuality they are two different works of art from two different masters of the same time period, the early 16th century. On the one hand the Mona Lisa has dimensionality of character, a hidden and unresolved certainty. The Magdalena Doni appears to be one dimensional. Her expression has a present quality that makes her believable as a model for the portrait, she is bored. On the other hand the Mona Lisa’s enigmatic facial qualities embrace a dreamlike mysteriousness that is beyond her as a model. It is left up to the viewer to discern what she is contemplating as a person, verses her as a human being, sitting for a portrait, such as is in the case of the Magdalena Doni. These two paintings are a good example of the subtle differences to be found when comparing different pieces of art. What appears on the surface to be similar in fact holds deeper contrasting qualities. That is the joy and beauty of art.
- "Da Vinci." The World Book Encyclopedia. ed. 1990.
- Fleming, John, and Hugh Honour. The Visual Arts: A History. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall Inc.
- Murphy, Caroline P. Dictionary of Artists' Models. 509. Google Book Search Beta. Routledge (UK). 30 Nov 2005
- "Raphael Sanzio of Urbino." VIA ARTS. 30 Nov. 2005.
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