Mona Lisa

I hang on a big wall in a quiet, sunny room. So many friends come to see me every day. They look at my eyes, and they look at my smile. Is it a happy smile? Is it a sleepy smile? They wonder what I am thinking. I am a painting, a very special painting. My name is the Mona Lisa, and I have a secret just for you.

My friend, the painter, made me a long, long, long time ago, around the year 1503. His name was Leonardo da Vinci, and he was very kind. He used soft brushes and warm colors to paint me on a piece of wood. Swish, swoosh went his brush. He gave me a dark, cozy dress to wear. Behind me, he painted sleepy green rivers and little twisty roads that go up and down the hills. He painted for a very long time to make my smile just right. It’s a gentle smile, like I am sharing a happy secret with him, and now with you.

After my friend Leonardo was done, I went on many big adventures. I even lived with kings in their castles. Now, my home is in a big, beautiful building in a city called Paris. It is a museum where I can meet new friends every day. Big friends and little friends come to say hello. My smile reminds everyone to look for happy feelings and little secrets in the world. I show them that a quiet painting can hold so much wonder and connect us all, just by sharing a smile.