Why is the Mona Lisa so famous? - Noah Charney

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

As dawn broke over Paris on August 21st, 1911,

1991 年八月二十一日， 在巴黎，天剛破曉，

Vincenzo Peruggia hoisted a painting off the wall

文森佐·佩魯加把牆上的一幅畫取下，

and slipped down the back stairs of the Louvre.

從羅浮宮的後梯溜走。

He was close to freedom, the exit just before him

他很接近自由了，出口就在眼前，

when he encountered a two-pronged problem:

此時他遇到了兩個問題：

the door was locked and footsteps were approaching.

門鎖住了，且腳步聲正在接近。

Tucked under Peruggia’s arm was Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.”

藏在佩魯加手臂下的 是達文西的《蒙娜麗莎》。

It's arguably the world's most famous painting today.

它可說是現今全世界最有名的畫作。

But how did it achieve its status?

但它是怎麼爬到這個地位的？

Leonardo is thought to have started the portrait in 1503

一般認為達文西在 1503 年開始創作這幅畫。

at the request of a Florentine businessman

是一名佛羅倫斯商人請他畫的，

who wanted a portrait of his wife, Lisa Gherardini.

商人想要一幅他妻子 麗莎·格拉迪尼的畫像。

Leonardo continued working on the painting for more than 10 years,

達文西持續投入了 十多年在這幅畫作上，

but it was unfinished by the time he died.

但到過世時仍然沒有完成。

Over his lifetime, Leonardo conducted groundbreaking studies on human optics,

達文西在一生當中進行了

許多開創性的人類光學研究，

which led him to pioneer certain artistic techniques.

讓他能成為某些藝術技巧的先鋒。

Some can be seen in the “Mona Lisa.”

在《蒙娜麗莎》中可以看到一些。

Using “atmospheric perspective,” he made images at greater distances hazier,

他用「大氣透視」法

讓較遠的影像較模糊，

producing the illusion of profound depth.

產生出有深度的假象。

And with “sfumato,” he created subtle gradations between colors

他也用「暈塗法」創造出 顏色之間的細微漸層，

that softened the edges of the forms he depicted.

讓他描繪的形狀有比較柔和的邊緣。

All of this is striking,

這一切都很不簡單，

but is it enough to make the “Mona Lisa” the world’s most famous painting?

但這樣就足以讓《蒙娜麗莎》 成為世界上最有名的畫作嗎？

Many scholars consider it an outstanding Renaissance portrait—

許多學者認為它是 很出色的文藝復興畫像——

but one among plenty.

但還有很多這樣的畫作。

And history is full of great paintings.

且歷史上滿是偉大的畫作。

Indeed, the “Mona Lisa’s” rise to worldwide fame

的確，《蒙娜麗莎》 能有享譽全球的名聲，

depended largely on factors beyond the canvas.

有很大一部分是仰賴畫布外的因素。

King François the First of France purchased the painting

法國國王法蘭索瓦一世 買下了這幅畫，

and began displaying it after Leonardo’s death.

在達文西過世後開始展示它。

Then, in 1550, Italian scholar Giorgio Vasari

接著，1550 年，

義大利學者喬爾喬·瓦薩里

published a popular biography of Italian Renaissance artists,

出版了一本很受歡迎的 義大利文藝復興藝術家傳記，

Leonardo included.

包括達文西在內。

The book was translated and distributed widely,

這本書被廣為流傳， 翻譯為許多語言，

and it contained a gushing description of the “Mona Lisa”

書中滔滔不絕地描述到《蒙娜麗莎》

as a hypnotic imitation of life.

栩栩如生到了可以催眠人的程度。

Over the years, the “Mona Lisa” became one of the most enviable pieces

經過多年，《蒙娜麗莎》 成為法國皇家收藏品中

最讓人羨慕的作品之一。

in the French Royal Collection.

It hung in Napoleon’s bedroom and eventually went on public display

它曾被掛在拿破崙的臥房中，

最後被公開展示在羅浮宮裡。

in the Louvre Museum.

There, visitors flocked to see the once-private treasures

在那裡，訪客蜂湧而至， 一睹這曾經被貴族

of the deposed aristocracy.

私人擁有的寶藏之一。

During the 1800s, a series of European scholars further hyped the “Mona Lisa” up,

1800 年代，

有一連串的歐洲學者再把 《蒙娜麗莎》誇大宣傳，

fixating to a conspicuous degree on the subject's allure.

迷戀該畫作的魅力 到了引人注目的程度。

In 1854, Alfred Dumesnil said that Mona Lisa’s smile imparted

1854 年，阿爾佛雷德·杜姆尼爾

說蒙娜麗莎的微笑

a “treacherous attraction.”

流露出「變化莫測的吸引力」。

A year later, Théophile Gautier wrote of her “mocking lips”

一年後，泰奧菲爾·哥提耶寫到 她的「嘲笑般的雙脣」

and “gaze promising unknown pleasures.”

以及「承諾一種未知愉悅的凝視」。

And in 1869, Walter Pater described Mona Lisa

1896 年，華特·佩特 把蒙娜麗莎描述成

as the embodiment of timeless feminine beauty.

永恆女性之美的具體呈現。

By the 20th century, the portrait was an iconic piece

到了二十世紀，

該畫像成了世界最知名的 博物館之一所陳列的代表性作品。

in one of the world’s most famous museums.

But the “Mona Lisa” wasn’t yet a household name.

但《蒙娜麗莎》尚未成為 家喻戶曉的名字。

It was Peruggia’s 1911 heist that helped it skyrocket to unprecedented fame.

是佩魯加在 1911 年的偷竊

協助它的名聲衝上前所未有的高點。

Having been contracted to make protective cases for the Louvre,

佩魯加曾受僱製作羅浮宮的玻璃櫃，

it wasn’t totally inconceivable for Peruggia to be locked inside the museum.

所以他被鎖在博物館中 並非完全不可能的事。

And, lucky for him, when a workman encountered him in the stairwell,

他很幸運，

當一名工人在樓梯井遇到他時，

he simply helped Peruggia open the door and let him walk out into the morning.

他就協助佩魯加開門，

讓他揚長而去。

The theft made international headlines.

這次偷竊上了國際頭條。

People gathered to see the blank space where the “Mona Lisa” once hung.

大家都跑去看曾經掛著 《蒙娜麗莎》的空牆。

The police interviewed Peruggia because he had worked at the Louvre,

警方訪談了佩魯加， 因為他曾在羅浮宮工作，

but they never considered him a suspect.

但他們始終沒有把他視為嫌疑犯。

Meanwhile, they interrogated Pablo Picasso because of his connection

同時，警方也審訊了巴勃羅·畢卡索，

因為他和先前的羅浮宮竊盜案有關，

to a previous Louvre theft, but eventually let him go.

但最終還是讓他走了。

For two years, Peruggia kept the painting in a false-bottom suitcase,

有兩年的時間，佩魯加都把這幅畫 藏在底部有夾層的手提箱中，

then smuggled the “Mona Lisa” to Italy

接著把《蒙娜麗莎》走私到義大利，

and arranged to sell it to a Florentine art dealer.

並安排要將它賣給 佛羅倫斯的藝術品經銷商。

Peruggia saw himself as an Italian patriot returning an old master’s work.

佩魯加把自己視為義大利愛國者，

把過去大師的作品歸還。

But instead of being celebrated as such, he was immediately arrested.

但他並沒有被以這個名義頌揚，

反而馬上被逮捕。

With the mystery solved, the “Mona Lisa” went back on display to large crowds,

偷竊之謎解決後，《蒙娜麗莎》 再次被展示給大眾欣賞。

and newspapers took the story for a victory lap.

報紙也宣揚了這個勝利的故事。

In the following decades, conceptual artist Marcel Duchamp mocked it;

在接下來的數十年裡

觀念藝術家馬塞爾·杜象 把它改造成可笑的作品，

Nazi art thieves pursued it; Nat King Cole sang about it;

納粹藝術竊賊想得到它；

納金高唱和它有關的歌曲；

and museumgoers wielding stones, paint, acid, and teacups attacked it.

去博物館的人用石頭、油漆、

酸，和茶杯來攻擊它。

More than 500 years after its creation— eyebrows and eyelashes long since faded—

它被創作出來的五百多年之後——

眉毛和睫毛早就淡去——

the “Mona Lisa” is protected by a bulletproof, earthquake-safe case.

《蒙娜麗莎》被保護在

防彈、防地震的玻璃箱中。

Now, it stands perhaps less as an exemplary Renaissance portrait

它現在代表的可能比較不是 模範級的文藝復興畫像，

and more as a testament to how we create and maintain celebrity.

比較是個證據，證明我們 如何創造和維護名人。