The famous smile of Mona Lisa, the magnum opus of Leonardo da Vinci, is no more a secret as scientists have decoded the technique how the Renaisance-era painter created a special effect to show the enigmatic expression.
According to the experts, the artist managed to achieve his trademark smoky effect, known as sfumato, on the painting by applying up to 40 layers of extremely thin glaze thought to have been smeared on with his fingers.
The glaze, mixed with subtly different pigments, creates the slight blurring and shadows around the mouth that give Mona Lisa her barely noticeable smile that seems to disappear when looked at directly.
With the help of X-rays, the researchers were able to see how the layers of glaze and paint had been built up to varying levels on the face, The Telegraph reported.
With the drying times for the glaze taking months, such effects would have taken years to achieve.
The findings also suggest that he used his fingers to apply the glaze as there are no brush marks or contours visible on the paintings.
The new discoveries have been made by scientists at Laboratoire du Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musees de France and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.
Writing in the scientific journal Angewandle Chemie, Philippe Walter, who led the study, said: 'The perfection of Leonardo da Vinci's painting technique has always been fascinating.
'The gradation of tones or colours from light to dark is barely perceptible. Above all, the way the flesh is rendered gives rise to many comments because of its crucial role in the fascination exerted by Leonardo's portraits.
'Even today, Leonardo's realisation of such thin layers still remains an amazing feat,' Walter said.
The team also studied skin tones in six other of Leonardo's most famous paintings, including 'Virgin of the Rocks', 'Madonna of the Carnation', 'Saint John the Baptist' and the 'Virgin and the Child'.
Walter and his team believe that Leonardo experimented by creating different types of glaze and with different pigments to perfect the sfumato effect.
Joginder Tuteja, Bollywood Trade News Network
Jahan Bloch. Or is she Jahan Kumar?
A lot is there in the name. Daughter of Mehul Kumar, the film makers who made many a 'masala' flicks during the 80s and the 90s, Jahan carries the surname Bloch. 'Now where did this one come from', one is tempted to ask?
This is what the young girl has to say. "Our family's surname has always been Bloch. My dad is basically Mehul Bloch and that stems from the fact that my forefathers have been from Baluchistan, hence the surname. However, my father chose to be called as Mehul Kumar in Bollywood", says Jahan who is making her screen debut with KRANTIVEER - THE REVOLUTION, the sequel to Nana Patekar-Dimple Kapadia starrer KRANTIVEER.
Why didn't she also opt for the surname Kumar?
"Well, it would have looked a little funny to be called as Jahan Kumar", she smiles, "A Kumar is generally associated with guys. Also, I love the sound of Bloch and hence chose to be called as Jahan Bloch. Today, I have found my identity and I am proud to be known with this name."
Talking about the film, Jahan reveals that her inclusion came during the scripting stage itself.
"Dad was in the process of writing the script and as the role of this girl became quite powerful and challenging to enact, he asked me if I would be interested in playing it. Of course, I didn't have to think twice about it. I was game for it and soon found myself preparing for it. Now that the film is just a few weeks away from release, I can't wait to see how audience acceptance comes in", she signs off.
Bollywood Trade News Network
Here to provide us with his regular updates and opinions, the fake Osama Bin Laden is the newest to join Twitterville.
Going by the name of "FakeBinLaden", the man in demand already has a plethora of fans on social networking site FaceBook. Reveals an inside source "Following in the footsteps of our many celebrities - the fake Bin Laden is here to entertain us with his thoughts and opinions. He already has created a stir on FB and is now here to take micro blogging site Twitter by storm"
You can find this fake Osama Bin Laden on http://twitter.com/FakeBinLaden
The identity of the face behind the "FakeBinLaden" is kept under wraps but he will regularly tweet his opinions and other news on an upcoming film also inspired by him
The movie in question is Walkwater's and Abhishek Sharma's TERE BIN LADEN.
TERE BIN LADEN releasing 16th July 2010 is a tongue-in-cheek comedy about an ambitious young news reporter from Pakistan played by Ali Zafar who is desperate to migrate to the US in pursuit of the American dream. His repeated attempts to immigrate are shot down as his visa is always rejected. But when things couldn't look worse he comes across an Osama Bin Laden look alike. And that's when chaos strikes!
Bollywood Trade News Network
After Bollywood hotties like Nandana Sen and Sherlyn Chopra, the relative newcomer Aruna Sheilds is next to bare it all in front of the camera!
Aruna Shields, who made her debut in bollywood with PRINCE alongside Vivek Oberoi, is creating huge waves for her new film MR SINGH MRS MEHTA. As the bold actress will be seen posing nude for a particular sequence in the movie. Just like Hollywood actress Kate Winslet did in supremely successful film TITANIC, Aruna plays muse for a nude painting, and that is her turning point. For a girl who is trapped in middle class morality, to reach a point where she not only poses naked in front of a man who is not her husband but also doesn't care what the world will think when the painting becomes public
Aruna Shields has gone for a complete image makeover with her new film MR SINGH MRS MEHTA, which releases on June 25. From a desi Bond babe, Shields has transformed herself into a girl-next-door from a small town in this film.
Shields plays Neera Singh, an agony aunt columnist who discovers her husband is cheating on her. Also starring Prashant Narayanan, another Brit Asian actress Lucy Hassan and Naved Aslam, the film is written and directed by Pravesh Bhardwaj and produced by Manu S Kumaran and Tutu Sharma.
MR SINGH MRS MEHTA is the story of Ashwin Mehta (Prashant Narayanan) and Neera Singh (Aruna Shields) who find that their spouses are having an affair. Drawn together by shame and anger, they find comfort in their growing friendship, even as they resolve not to be like their unfaithful mates.
MR SINGH MRS MEHTA also marks the debut of world renowned sitarist and Grammy nominated artist Ustaad Shujaat Husain Khan as a music composer.
Unlike other foreign actresses who end up being one-film-wonders in Bollywood, with Mr Singh Mrs Mehta, Aruna Shields is definitely here to stay
The 20-year-old actress, who plays Bella Swan in the vampire franchise, wants to be on stage at the London's famous West End theatre, although she wants to start off in a small production, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
'Unlike movie acting, you have to deliver the whole performance there and then. You live it every night. But anything I do will be small,' said Stewart.
Stewart is said to be keen to appear on the West End after seeing her model-actor friend Eddie Redmayne star in 'Red' at the Donmar Warehouse theatre in London.
She is in talks with the theatre producer and director who have given her potential projects to consider. The actress is now busy promoting the third installment of the 'Twilight' series which will premiere in the US June 30.
Kangna Ranaut is quite, quite amused. Tattle over her enhanced twin assets (ahem) and fuller lips, have almost forced Kangy to respond to the grapevine buzz with a plausible explanation.
Reportedly, Kangy has been asserting to the scribe tribe that her more voluptuous frame is courtesy… a weight gain of seven kgs; a feat she's expressly… thrilled about!
Declares Kangy in a tabloid chat, "Not only my breasts, but my overall frame has expanded. I do plan to lose the weight, most people have been complimenting me on my weight gain."
Adds she, "But I do feel that it does make me look older. Though secretly, I do like myself this way and have not started going to the gym or doing yoga. On screen, my hollow cheeks look fuller and better, after the weight gain." Weighty matters, eh?
