Key West Lou / THE MONA LISA

The real person who sat for Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is who? More than one opinion.

The most popular is Lisa Gherardini. Her married name. Her maiden name Lisa del Giocondo. Her husband a Florentine fabric merchant. Neither rich nor poor. They were middle class.

Lisa has been described as “an unremarkable random wife. She ended up as one of the most recognizable faces in history.”

Lisa was much younger than her husband, as was the custom in those days. She was 15 and he 29 when they married. She bore him six children.

Her husband convinced Da Vinci to do Lisa’s portrait when she was 24. He began but never seemed to finish. She was 40 when Da Vinci died and the portrait was still partly unfinished.

History explains the delay in completing the Mona Lisa was its cost. Private portraits were cheaper. Da Vinci needed money when he took on doing Lisa’s portrait. However soon thereafter, he received more costly paintings to do and put Lisa’s painting to the side. He went back and forth to it over the years.

Speculation has attached to the Mona Lisa. The claim has been made that Lisa was not the model. Rather it was a male, Da Vinci’s male apprentice Salai.

At a point in time, the issue arose as to whether the Mona Lisa was actually the portrait of a man in drag. A painting of one of his personal employees, Gian Giacono Caprotti. He was considered a beautiful young man. Da Vinci was known to enjoy young males so the story has had traction.

Da Vinci had many interests and inspirations. He was into perspectives, proposition, and mathematics in the creation of his art. Was the Mona Lisa work product the result of these interests rather than the actual Lisa?

The Monas Lia has been hung for viewing in the Louvre in Paris since 1797.

On loan/display at other museums over the years. In 1963, it was on exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City for several weeks. It was seen by more than 1,600,000 persons. I was “2” of them. Returned a second time to stand and stare. Captured by the work’s beauty and peacefulness.

Biden passed the sword last night on TV. His speech touchingly somber. Reflected none of the shortcomings apparent in the debate.

I wish Biden well during the remainder of his term. I hope Harris beats the hell out of Trump. I have a feeling she just might.

Netanyahu addressed Congress yesterday. The part of Congress that appeared. Roughly 40 Democrats refused to show. Including Senate President as Vice President Kamala Harris. Several Jewish members of Congress refused to appear also. Among them Senators Sanders and Schatz.

Netanyahu appeared via what was a Republican motivated invitation. A Trump ploy in my opinion. I believe it failed to work out as Trump  anticipated.

Netanyahu insulted the U.S. By so doing, he insulted me and you. He compared the Hamas attack as “like December 7, 1941…..a day that will forever live in infamy.” He further stated: “Many anti-Israel protesters, many choose to stand with evil. They stood with Hamas. They stood with rapists and murderers.” He claimed the protesters had “already become Iran’s useful idiots.”

Speaker Johnson criticized Harris for not appearing. He failed to add that Senator Vance also did not appear.

Overall, Netanyahu received a warm welcome from the Republicans and a lukewarm one from the Democrats who did appear.

Thousands appeared outside to protest Netanyahu’s appearance. Things got a bit out of hand. The protesters burned American flags. Raised in their place small Palestinian flags. I take the burning of an American flag, though legal, a personal insult.

Another negative affecting Netanyahu was what occurred at the Watergate Hotel where he was staying. Security was tight. Apparently as tight as when Trump was shot a few days ago in Pennsylvania. Some person or group got into Watergate and strew piles of maggots, meal worms and crickets around. None personally affected Netanyahu. Too bad. He would have ben deserving of such an insult.

Trump must be wondering how he made what is becoming an apparent mistake in selecting Vance as his running mate.

Circulating the internet is a video of Vance speaking two years ago when he was campaigning for the Ohio Senate seat. He knocked women who were childless and had cats. His claim was to the effect: “People without children do not have a ‘direct stake’ in America’s future.” The video has become part of today’s campaign. How can Vance knock women who are childless? Some cannot have children for physical reasons, some have husband’s who are incapable of planting the seed, some merely do not want children. Many become stepmothers as Harris did when she married Doug Emhoff in 2014. In fact, she adopted his two children.

Vance will lose a significant number of votes by attacking stepmothers. Deservedly so! A winner he is not. The only help he will be to Trump is in assisting Trump to be defeated.

Racial attacks in the House against Harris are becoming inc5easingly pronounced. GOP leaders are giving the appearance of being concerned. Speaker Johnson told his members to stop socially attacking Harris. I suspect he spoke with tongue in cheek. In an answer period following, Johnson said, “You can’t put the genie back in the bottle.”

An example of segregation defeated. A Woolworth store in Greensboro, North Carolina, that had been the scene of nearly 6 months of sit in protests against its white-only lunch counter dropped its segregation policy this day in 1960.

There is a woman named Elizabeth Francis. She is the oldest living American. Her age 114. She is a supercentenarian. A big word for her big years. Born in Louisiana, she presently resides in Houston, Texas.

I am still for Cheney as Harris’ Vice-President pick. It would guarantee a Harris victory.

Enjoy your day!

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