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Enigma of Mona Lisa Smile Cracked
Sci-Tech Today ^ | December 15, 2005 | Robin Arnfield

Posted on 12/15/2005 3:42:43 PM PST by nickcarraway

According to findings published in the New Scientist, a British journal, the exact breakdown of Mona Lisa's emotions, as captured by Leonardo da Vinci, were 83 percent happy, 9 percent disgusted, 6 percent fearful, and 2 percent angry.

The enigma of Leonardo da Vinci's famous Mona Lisa painting has been cracked with the help of emotion-recognition software from scientists at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The painting, which is now in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, was painted at some point between 1503 and 1506, according to art historians.

After centuries of speculation about what the lady in the picture was thinking about, the software concluded that Mona Lisa was actually happy and only a little disgusted as she sat for Leonardo to paint her portrait.

Mostly Happy

According to findings published in the New Scientist, a British journal, the exact breakdown of Mona Lisa's emotions, as captured by Leonardo da Vinci, were 83 percent happy, 9 percent disgusted, 6 percent fearful, and 2 percent angry.

Dr. Nicu Sebe, a professor at the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, used emotion-recognition software to come up with the exact breakdown of Mona Lisa's emotional state.

The software was developed with the help of Professor Thomas Huang, a group leader at the Image Formation and Processing Faculty at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Read My Lips

Sibu specializes in human-computer interaction, or HCI, a technology that allows computers to respond to human beings appropriately by reading the expression on their faces. He used HCI software to create a 3D computer image of Mona Lisa.

This image was compared with images of other women in Sibu's database to quantify the emotion depicted in Leonardo's portrait.

The software looks at features such as the curvature of the lips and crinkles around the eyes to score six basic emotions. It scored Mona Lisa for happiness, disgust, fear, and anger, but found no evidence of surprise or sadness.

Other applications of emotion-recognition software might be to detect terror suspects on the basis of their emotions as well as their physical characteristics.

Professor Huang specializes in computerized image handling. He also is working on image-recognition software that will allow databases of images to be searched on the basis of their visual content rather than the textual title given to them.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: art; davinci; florence; godsgravesglyphs; italy; leonardo; leonardodavinci; monalisa; santissimaannunziata
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To: mtbopfuyn
Ok, but what was she happy about? ,p>That she wasn't being treated like the other female portrait models, which was having to sit around in a cold,drafty-ass studio with no clothes on while some old fart stared at her all day.
41 posted on 12/15/2005 5:51:57 PM PST by uglybiker (Iraqis have purple fingers. Liberals have brown thumbs.)
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To: Charles Henrickson
"The Da Vinci Coed"?

LOL! Bet she got GREAT grades.

42 posted on 12/15/2005 5:57:35 PM PST by manwiththehands ("Have a RamaHanuKwanzMas" - Glenn Beck (And Merry Christmas!) (... and "Happy Holidays!"))
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To: nickcarraway
I've always liked this one: Moosa Lisa
43 posted on 12/15/2005 6:02:28 PM PST by MrsEmmaPeel
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To: martin_fierro; Charles Henrickson

The Oh No Lisa

44 posted on 12/15/2005 7:08:45 PM PST by mikrofon (a/k/a "The Moanin' Lisa")
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To: GSlob

I think you are correct, actually.


45 posted on 12/15/2005 7:31:16 PM PST by Sam Cree (absolute reality) - "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." Albert Einstein)
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To: ExcursionGuy84
I wish I had dated Maureen Dowd... if it meant I'd be married to this fine lady...
46 posted on 12/15/2005 8:39:27 PM PST by dangus
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To: dangus
I wish I had dated Maureen Dowd... if it meant I'd be married to this fine lady...
47 posted on 12/15/2005 8:40:50 PM PST by dangus
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To: nickcarraway
83 percent happy, 9 percent disgusted, 6 percent fearful, and 2 percent angry.

And this is different from me pretty much every day......how?

48 posted on 12/15/2005 8:41:41 PM PST by hispanarepublicana (Chuck Cooperstein is a tool.)
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To: Charles Henrickson

"The Da Vinci Coed"

LOL!


49 posted on 12/15/2005 8:42:42 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
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To: nickcarraway

50 posted on 12/15/2005 8:45:30 PM PST by Revolting cat! ("In the end, nothing explains anything.")
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To: Charles Henrickson
There must be 50 ways to leave your Louvre

Pah! LOL!!!

51 posted on 12/15/2005 8:46:56 PM PST by Lijahsbubbe (does anyone miss Ted Koppel?)
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To: nickcarraway

this post in only about 30% interesting. but after reading the dan brown books, it's timely. cant wait for the movie.


52 posted on 12/15/2005 8:48:23 PM PST by thefactor
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To: nickcarraway

Look at a picture of Mona Lisa--and think drunken grin. Geesh, they pay people to do these studies?!


53 posted on 12/15/2005 9:03:12 PM PST by World'sGoneInsane (LET NO ONE BE FORGOTTEN, LET NO ONE FORGET)
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To: Charles Henrickson

LOL


54 posted on 12/15/2005 9:55:34 PM PST by woofie
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To: dangus

If I was only looked more handsome and 15 years younger, was fit,and famous and had $30 million or so, she might have been interested in me


55 posted on 12/15/2005 9:59:48 PM PST by woofie
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To: woofie

Wealthier and more fit might help, but dude... she LIKES geriatric geezers... she's married to MICHAEL DOUGLAS!


56 posted on 12/15/2005 10:01:28 PM PST by dangus
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To: dangus

Well at any rate that photo is the best....thanks


57 posted on 12/15/2005 10:13:45 PM PST by woofie
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To: woofie; Liz; Joe 6-pack; vannrox; giotto; iceskater; Conspiracy Guy; Dolphy; Intolerant in NJ; ...

OK, hopefully I didn't screw it up this time. Computer is back online.

Art ping!

Anyone who wants on or off the art ping list, let me or Republicanprofessor know.


58 posted on 12/16/2005 8:02:40 AM PST by Sam Cree (absolute reality) - "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." Albert Einstein)
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To: woofie

The $30 million or so allows for great latitude in the other qualities, I have observed. 'Course it's still better to have a dame that loves you ;-)


59 posted on 12/16/2005 8:04:26 AM PST by Sam Cree (absolute reality) - "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." Albert Einstein)
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To: Sam Cree
Yea I got that and it means she will put up with a lot. I will just have to imagine she looks like Ms Zeta Jones I guess ...though she (my wife) does look mighty good
60 posted on 12/16/2005 8:12:25 AM PST by woofie
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