Art For The Masses

A good 500 years after the renaissance, this iconic image still pervades our daily consciousness and will probably continue to do so for another 500 years.  I was extremely lucky to have found my one and only version of Leonardo's Mona Lisa in an 18"x24" version from a thrift shop in Upland, California yesterday.  As soon as I saw it, I know paying $30 for it was definitely worth every penny.  Here's why. This acrylic version is done using the traditional paint-by-numbers technique from a kit available at any crafts store by a person of indeterminate age.  While I have never done a single paint-by-number piece, I believe that with patience, a bit of a steady hand and a drive to make art is all one needs to accomplish something like this.  The merging of this iconic image with a modern (ok, 50s maybe) technique is a truly art for the masses.  I knew I was destined to get this piece because as I was waiting in line, getting ready to pay, I looked outside and just across the street, painted on the building (that housed a custom framing store) is another image of the Mona Lisa.