The Mona Lisa Reimagined By 300 Most Innovative Artists

Fascinated by the legacy of the Mona Lisa, I’ve decided to publish 'Mona Lisa Reimagined', an anthology of hundreds of works of art that have been inspired by this famous painting.

This book features nearly 300 both established and emerging artists from over 50 different countries with various painting styles, making it the largest, most comprehensive collection of Mona Lisa-inspired artwork ever assembled in history.

No modern or classical paintings in history have been reproduced as often and in as various art styles as Mona Lisa. Just what exactly is the mysterious allure of this beautiful painting that has inspired unparalleled levels of imitation? Though many explanations abound, there really can be no definitive answer, as the ambiguity of the Mona Lisa is certainly one of the major factors of the classical artwork's indelible appeal.

It was quite a struggle to find the right publisher for this project. Though the entire process was frustrating at times, I never gave up and always felt strongly that it was just a matter of time until I find the right one and I did.

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American artist Mark Stephens was commissioned to create this painting in 1989, commemorating the 67th birthday of PEANUTS comic strip creator Charles M. Schulz.

"My portraits need to be viewed in two ways: from a distance to recognize the person depicted, and close up to identify the materials and appreciate the intricacies of how all of the pieces fit together." Jane Perkins

The apparent playfulness of his work disguises a deeper reflection on the complexity of postmodern existence and the mystery of personal identity. “In the contemporary digital age, our fingers are the tools we use to handle touch screens, mouse devices, and keyboards, connecting us with the world. Thus, in a sense, each of us are hiding behind our finger while surfing the internet or communicating online. The finger is the image we project of ourselves, the mask we wear, even in real life" explains the artist.

In 2009 Timothy White photographed comedienne Whoopi Goldberg portraying famous women throughout history who may have had issues with LBL (light bladder leakage). These popular advertisements sought to reduce the embarrassing stigma associated with the condition so that women would feel empowered to deal with this issue. The Mona Lisa ads were accompanied by a tagline, which read: "There's a 1 in 3 chance that wasn't a smile on Mona Lisa's face."

Perhaps one of the most well-known Mona Lisa parodies of all time. The letters L.H.O.O.Q. sound like "elle a chaud au cul" when read aloud in French: a pun which roughly translates to "she has a hot ass." This piece represents the artist's protest against an oppressive intellectual rigidity in both art and everyday society.

The image above was created with 330 Rubik's Cubes mounted onto a board. Invader's distinctive work can be seen in highly visible public locations in more than 60 cities in 30 countries.

Over the years this image has often been reprinted on posters and tee-shirts and reproduced in countless books and publications. Having been described as "one of the enduring icons of American humor", 'Mona Gorilla' is widely regarded as one of the best and most famous Mona Lisa parodies ever made.

Matt Zumbo's mastery of technical skills and unique, humorous twists on subject matter have earned him a highly respected national reputation.

Japanese illustrator Kazuki Kikuchi used tweezers to fold each of the 910 individual rose-shaped paper sculptures that create the foundation for his mosaic Mona Lisa portrait. The entire production period lasted nearly a year, with each flower requiring approximately half an hour to create.

This striking digital illustration was created by German artist David Müller, using only the tip of his index finger on his Apple iPod Touch. The entire endeavor required ten hours for Mr. Müller to complete.

Iranian artist Farah Ossouli's intricate painting represents the conflicting duality of Iranian culture, in that her version of Mona Lisa is still smiling, despite the fact that her throat has been cut. Ms. Ossouli feels that Iranian women always have two contradicting feelings with which they must carry themselves, and they should never complain, even if they are injured.

"The work can be very frustrating, as you can imagine. If you mess up in any way, you just gotta shake it and start all over. There are times I've come to the very end and made a mistake, and I'll be honest, you just wanna cry. But, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it." Jeff Gagliardi

Within his mystifying "portrait-scapes", in which the evident meaning blends into the hidden one, a Russian-born artist Victor Molev has created his own artistic language of symbols, signs, and original effects that make his paintings unique and instantly recognizable.