The Mona Lisa: What Elevates Our Creative Work to Art?

The Mona Lisa is said to be worth so much that no one person would ever afford to purchase it. Why do we assign such astronomical values to artwork?

Leonardo da Vinci’s oil painting of just simply a woman is renowned worldwide as the most famous piece of art. How did it come to be so loved and venerated?

For centuries, something about the Mona Lisa has captivated people – but they have failed to place their finger on what that quality might be. Common speculations as to what makes da Vinci’s painting so enchanting are how her eyes follow you, how realistic it is, and the mysterious expression on the face of the woman the painting depicts. 

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Many writers and critics have concluded that the biggest reason why the Mona Lisa is so special is because Leonardo Da Vinci’s purpose behind the work of art was to convey the Italian term gioconda, a word that means “self-amused” – and was also the family name of da Vinci’s purported model, Lisa del Giocondo. In this famous painting, the artist worked around the central idea of happiness and how the human cycle of loss and gain is depicted through that very intentional half-smile – which has produced vigorous debate for 500 years. 

All art is meant to have meaning beyond the surface; even if it is personal to the artist and not applicable to a larger group of people. This artistic impulse exceeds the point of aesthetics and has a purpose whether it serves one person or many. True art responds to the artist’s personal experience or to the experiences of many. It can ask questions, challenge people, or just simply make a statement. Ultimately, it is inspired by the soul – and by a higher power. Ultimately, everything is inspired by the Creator, Who bestowed upon us the gifts of intellect, creativity, and a soul. The Baha’i writings say:

Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is endowed with such potency as can instill new life into every human frame, if ye be of them that comprehend this truth. All the wondrous works ye behold in this world have been manifested through the operation of His supreme and most exalted Will, His wondrous and inflexible Purpose. Through the mere revelation of the word “Fashioner,” issuing forth from His lips and proclaiming His attribute to mankind, such power is released as can generate, through successive ages, all the manifold arts which the hands of man can produce. This, verily, is a certain truth. No sooner is this resplendent word uttered, than its animating energies, stirring within all created things, give birth to the means and instruments whereby such arts can be produced and perfected. All the wondrous achievements ye now witness are the direct consequences of the Revelation of this Name. In the days to come, ye will, verily, behold things of which ye have never heard before. Thus hath it been decreed in the Tablets of God, and none can comprehend it except them whose sight is sharp. 

Perhaps this explains why art changes with time. God’s revelations introduce new concepts and ways of seeing that have the power to completely transform and reshape humanity.

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I’m a young singer/songwriter who has written many songs. I have a dream of becoming a professional artist one day. My artistic impulse has been passed down through many generations in my family. Whether it’s music, painting, fashion, pottery, or any other art form, I’ve seen and experienced firsthand the meaning-making art offers to people and their communities. Anyone can work with some level of creativity, but it is the purpose that sets art apart. In my experience, writing songs allows me to reframe difficult experiences into something I find to be beautiful. In my grandfather’s experience, painting has been his way of expressing love and gratitude to others. Every time I write a song I think about what I could add to it so that it becomes a little more alive and meaningful; I do what I can to bring a greater sense of artistic purpose to my work. 

So what elevates creative work to art? Art tells a story, whether that story is personal to an artist or a greater community; and whether it tells a story of the past, present, or future. All great art – like the Mona Lisa – tells a story of the experience of a human soul created by God. We are all connected to that higher power, and those connections suffuse every artist with the desire to create.