The Mona Lisa
Short History Of...
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Portraits of People in Movement - The Contraposto Position
Leonardo's technique of building up layers of paint from dark to light gives his portrait a feeling of depth. He works obsessively on it, conjuring the sitter's face with paint-stakingly fine brush strokes. Each layer of oil paint must dry before he can start the next. The second major innovation is a so-called sphumato technique, which means that the side of the mouth of the lips are a bit blurry.
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