Leonardo Da Vinci Guitar

(YouTube link)

The Martin Guitar Company marked the milestone of its 1.5 millionth guitar produced by making it a one-of-a-kind Leonardo Da Vinci special edition -with a mosaic inlays of The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa and other reproductions of Da Vinci art. The company unveiled the guitar at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show in Anaheim. -Thanks, Stratoblogster! Via: Neatorama

Yet Another Secret of Mona Lisa Revealed

Not believing that Dan Brown has unlocked the ultimate secret of the Mona Lisa, French researchers used X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to study the famous painting and discovered something amazing:

Da Vinci used a renaissance painting technique called "sfumato," mixing thin layers of pigment, glaze and oil intricately to yield the appearance of lifelike shadows and light. The technique is well known and has been employed by other artists over the years. But only now have scientists been able to analyze just how intricate da Vinci’s layers are.

They believe da Vinci used up to 30 layers of paint on his works. But altogether they only add up to a thickness of less than 40 micrometers of paint — about half the width of a human hair.

Link, Via: Neatorama

The Largest Mona Lisa in the World

Under the direction of artist Katy Webster, children painted an enormous copy of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa at a shopping mall in Wales:

Dozens of adults from community groups and youngsters from Wrexham schools coloured 82 vinyl tiles to make the paint-by-numbers portrait.

It is on show at Eagles Meadow, and will be used to raise money for the children’s hospice charity Hope House.

At 17.5m across, and covering 240 sqm, it is some 50 times the original.

Video at the link (preceded by a commercial).

Link, Via: GearFuse | Image: My Modern MET | Via: Neatorama

Huge Mona Lisa Back Tattoo is Painfully Artistic

Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is one of the most popular artworks in History, and it is not surprising people trying to imitate it in one form or another, but this huge Back Tattoo seems like a really painful way to show your love for art.

Tattoo artist HeadOvMetal has posted this Mona Lisa back tattoo from the Seattle Tattoo convention of 1995. Even though it is a tattoo, it is still amazing that such detail, effort and patience was spent on recreating the historical masterpiece. LINK

Famous Paintings Recreated in Vegetables

From a veggie Mona Lisa --Mona Tofu, made out of rice, sea kelp, and tofu-- to Van Gogh's self portrait --made of leek--, meet vegetable artist Ju Duoqi's works. LINK

Mona Lisa Graffiti

Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is so iconic that her smiling face has even shown up on graffiti. WebUrbanist has a neat post about 8 such unauthorized appearances by La Gioconda in the streets all over the world.

This one above is the RPG Mona Lisa, by the British street artist Banksy in Soho London.

Link, Via: Neatorama