It’s amazing how a single painting can provoke so much thought, gather so much attention and invoke so much analysis. This got me wondering about what Leonardo da Vinci must have been thinking when he painted the Mona Lisa.

Did he know that this painting of his would become world-famous, causing many to be captivated by the very smile which he himself painted?
Did he know that centuries after, his works would become recognized?
Was he aware that future generations would look up to him and patronize his works?

I find it funny thinking that maybe he did not even know he was destined for greatness. For all we know, he probably just had a passion for art and wanted to make a decent living out of it.
In this day and age, many years after his death, nobody seems to not know Leonardo da Vinci. His fame has spanned many generations and time seems to have made his paintings more famous because of the mysteries that hide behind them.

What is it with mysteries anyway? What makes the Mona Lisa a masterpiece?

…the questions. I think I heard someone answer that.

I was struck when these questions were asked in class. Sometimes, I think that if all my questions about life were answered, things would be better for me. Life would be less complicated too. But would I really want to sacrifice life’s beauty for some answers to my own questions?

It got me thinking…

I guess life really does become more beautiful with all the questions thrown in. Just like how if everyone became immortal, life itself, would lose its meaning. People wouldn’t struggle day by day to live life to its fullest. I’ve never welcomed the concept of so many questions in my life; but the discussion about the Mona Lisa has helped me change a few of my notions. Questions do bring beauty to life and it’s not really about having those questions answered, it’s just about letting those questions make life more meaningful for me.
Mysteries, in my opinion, have the ability to make people want to discover more. In the same way, I think that life, along with its questions, makes people search for deeper meaning in their own lives as well.

Source of picture: http://manuel.cerezo.name/archives/Mona_Lisa[1].jpg