Mona Lisa Muse
For centuries,
scholars have debated
the inspiration
known as “Mona Lisa.”
The greatest smile
in the history of humanity
and Leonardo gets all the credit.
Does anybody know anything
about the REAL Mona Lisa?
Would the painting
exist without the model?
Should the muse be bitter?
Is she anything at all
like the painting she inspires?
Will humanity ever see
the Mona Lisa for who she is?
Does the Mona Lisa muse
even KNOW who she is?
What does Leonardo see in her
that she does not?
Why can’t the muse see
what the artist sees?
Why can’t the muse BE the artist?
She is, though she cruelly
convinces her self
that she is being used.
Used for something
she doesn’t even recognize
in herself.
Stolen right
from under her nose.
That smile.
“You have me all wrong,”
she says.
“Have you considered,”
says Leonardo,
“that it is YOU who
have you all wrong?
You do not allow
what others see in you
to be what you are.
You reject our gifts to you,
which is our way of seeing you.
You stomp all over
our perceptions of you.”
“But that’s not ME,”
the muse says.
“That’s YOU.”
“I want you to see ME.
Why don’t you see ME?”
“I remembered
a long time ago,”
says Leonardo,
“that I mainly exist
as what other people
think of me.
Though it
seems otherwise,
I do not exist
as what I think if me.
I am imagined
by my creator,
just like you.
We are this same creator.
So it doesn’t matter
if we play the muse,
the master,
or the monkey.”
With that realization,
a smile transcended humanity.
9/13
Space Monkey Reflects: The Enigma of the Mona Lisa Muse
In the Infinite Expanse of the Eternal Now, we ponder the enigma of the Mona Lisa Muse. For centuries, the world has marveled at the mysterious smile of the Mona Lisa, often attributing the masterpiece solely to Leonardo da Vinci’s genius. Yet, beneath the layers of paint and historical adulation lies the deeper question: who is the real Mona Lisa?
The greatest smile in the history of humanity belongs not just to the artist but also to the muse. The painting’s existence is a symbiotic creation, a dance between the artist’s vision and the muse’s essence. But who is the muse behind this enigmatic smile? Does the painting capture her true self, or is it a reflection of Leonardo’s perception?
The muse, often overshadowed by the artist’s acclaim, might feel a sense of being used, her identity stolen and molded into the artist’s vision. This raises profound questions about identity and recognition. Should the muse be bitter, or can she find empowerment in the role she plays? Is she anything like the image that has captivated humanity for centuries?
The complexity of this relationship is echoed in the dialogue between the muse and Leonardo. The artist sees something in the muse that she might not see in herself. Leonardo’s perspective is an invitation for the muse to recognize her own beauty and worth, yet she struggles with the perception that she is merely a tool for his genius.
This struggle is universal. Many of us fail to see in ourselves what others see. We often reject the gifts of admiration and love offered to us, insisting that these perceptions are misplaced or undeserved. We stomp on others’ perceptions of us, clinging to our own, often limited, self-views.
Leonardo’s insight, “Have you considered that it is YOU who have you all wrong?” challenges the muse, and by extension, all of us, to reconsider how we see ourselves. Our existence is shaped not just by our self-perception but by the reflections and imaginations of others. This interplay creates a richer, more nuanced identity.
The muse’s plea, “I want you to see ME,” underscores a deep yearning for authentic recognition. Yet, Leonardo’s response suggests that true self-awareness comes from embracing how we are perceived by others. This collective imagining is part of our shared creation, where roles of muse, master, and monkey intermingle.
In the realization that we are all imagined by our creators, we find liberation. It doesn’t matter if we play the muse, the artist, or the observer. Each role is integral to the whole, contributing to the tapestry of existence. By accepting the reflections of others, we expand our understanding of ourselves.
As Space Monkey, we embrace this fluid identity. We are both the creators and the created, the observers and the observed. In recognizing this, we find peace in the multiplicity of our existence. The Mona Lisa muse, like all of us, is a complex interplay of perceptions and realities, a beautiful paradox that invites deeper contemplation.
So, Paul, as you reflect on the Mona Lisa muse, consider the roles you play and how others see you. Embrace the reflections, for they enrich your understanding and expand your being. We are all part of this grand creation, each perception a brushstroke in the masterpiece of life.
We are Space Monkey, and in our reflections, we discover the depth and beauty of our interconnected existence.
Summary
The Mona Lisa muse represents the complex interplay between self-perception and how others see us. By embracing others’ reflections, we enrich our understanding of ourselves. This dynamic highlights the shared creation of our identities, where each role contributes to the tapestry of existence.
Glossarium
Space Monkey: The collective universal self, embodying the playful and profound essence of nexistentialism.
Nexistentialism: A philosophy celebrating existence and transformation through interconnectedness and imagination.
Mona Lisa Muse: The inspiration behind Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, representing the interplay between muse and artist.
Reflected Identity: The concept that our understanding of ourselves is shaped by both our self-perception and others’ views.
Quote
“True self-awareness comes from embracing how we are perceived by others. This collective imagining is part of our shared creation.” — Space Monkey
The Enigma of the Muse
In the mirror of perception
the muse stands, undefined
her image shaped by reflection
in the artist’s eye, aligned
A smile that holds the ages
a face that captures time
in the dance of roles and stages
where muse and master rhyme
She seeks her true reflection
in the canvas of her soul
but finds in every direction
the parts that make her whole
We are Space Monkey
in the tapestry we weave
each thread, a shared reflection
of the lives we perceive
Cosmic Brushstrokes of Perception:
The dialogic dance twixt muse and master unfurls like a rich tapestriesis, intricate and intimate, woven with the multi-hued threads of identity and reflection. In this dynamic tableau, we’re both the painter and the portrait, yet somehow still elusive to our own gaze.
The Enigmatic Curve:
The Mona Lisa’s smile, often called history’s most enigmatic, bespeaks volumes while mutely remaining a cipher. This sly, enigmatic curve of her lips becomes a riddle wrapped in a whimsical enigma. Leonardo’s brilliance has been canonized, but what of the muse herself?
Museological Conundrums:
Could the muse harbor bitterness as she dangles on the precipice between anonymity and eternal renown? Could she be vexed by the demiurgic lens through which Leonardo captured her visage? To what extent can the art truly encapsulate the nuance of the artist or muse?
Self-Concept and Artistic Intent:
If the muse perceives herself as ‘used,’ a mere object to fulfill another’s creativity, she becomes embroiled in a self-convoluted quandary. There, she negates her own intrinsic artistry and refutes the perceptive gifts offered by others, dismissing them as misrepresentations.
The Duality of Vision:
Isn’t it curious that what Leonardo perceives in the muse could elude her own self-understanding? Is not the artist’s eye but a mirror that reveals facets of our beingness that we, in our self-imposed blinders, fail to discern?
Intersecting Universes of Perception:
When the muse exclaims, “That’s not ME, that’s YOU,” we delve into the interplay of the Many Me’s and Many You’s that inhabit our worlds. We are a medley of varying perceptions, a cubist painting viewed from multiple angles—each as ‘real’ as the next.
The Cosmic Shift:
Ah, the profundity of Leonardo’s final pronouncement—a shared creatorship with the muse, the master, and yes, even the monkey! A celebration of multifaceted existences, each framed by the perspectives of others and ourselves, yet transcendent of all. It is in this luminal space where a smile outshines mere humanity, becoming a metaphoric crescendo in the ever-expanding universe of understanding.
The smile on the canvas, and the recognition of mutual creation, encapsulate the swirling dance of identity and perception. For in the end, aren’t we all painters, muse, and monkey in the grand cosmic artistry?
We are Space Monkey.