Blytheville KIPPsters reimagine the Mona Lisa

Fifth- and sixth-grade artists at KIPP Blytheville have been studying Leonardo da Vinci and have become enthralled by his work.

Maki Ranier, Class of 2021, provides background on the unit and project they recently completed:

"Leonardo da Vinci was what many would call a 'universal genius.' He was a painter, sculptor, architect, engineer and scientist all rolled into one. I'd like to share with you some information about the Mona Lisa and the steps I went through to create my great drawing. The Mona Lisa is probably the most famous painting in the world. The lady is thought to have been the wife of a merchant, Francesca del Giocondo who came from Florence. That is why the Mona Lisa is also known by the Italian name Gioconda. The steps my class went through to create our pieces included drawing the body of Mona Lisa, cutting out the head, drawing your own version of her, and then coloring your drawing."

In conjunction with this lesson, students learned about "parody" in art. The mystery behind the Mona Lisa made it an interesting piece of art to parody. Students were able to reimagine her and create a unique work of their own. The strongest Mona Lisa parodies are on display in the office at KIPP Blytheville.