Famous Speeches

Shhh. Can you see me? I live in a very big room. So many people come to visit me every day. They look at my face and my hands. They whisper about my smile. Is it a happy smile? Is it a secret smile? It’s a little bit of both. I am a painting, and my name is the Mona Lisa. I love when you come to see my smile.

A long, long time ago, a kind painter made me. His name was Leonardo da Vinci. He was very clever and loved to make beautiful things. Around the year 1503, he started to paint me in a sunny place called Italy. He used a smooth piece of wood, not paper. He dipped his soft brushes in gentle colors. Swish, swoosh, he painted my dress. Swish, swoosh, he painted my folded hands. He took a very long time to make me just right. He painted fluffy clouds and winding rivers behind me. He made me with so much care.

After I was all finished, I went on a big trip. I traveled from Italy to a new home in a beautiful museum. My home is called the Louvre Museum, and it is in a city called Paris. Now, people from all over the world come to say hello. Big people and little people, just like you. They still look at my smile and wonder. My smile is a little piece of magic from a long time ago. It's a reminder to look closely at art and find something wonderful. Maybe you can make some magic with your own smile today.