"The Da Vinci Code"

Leonardo Da Vinci. The controversial artist of the Renaissance. Obsessed with the state, religion and most importantly - he loved a good puzzle.

"Everyone loves a Conspiracy." - The Da Vinci Code (2003)

In today's issue of The Daily Mail, Da Vinci still manages to captivate audiences with the controversy surrounding one of his stolen paintings named "The Madonna Of The Yarwinder".

The painting was said to be "tracked down" by private detectives after being stolen from an exhibition at Drumlanrig Castle in 2003, with the affair being branded a "conspiracy".

I have always been intrigued by his work due to the fact that I am an avid art lover and a typical overthinker. Of which I find his works to often emote the question; "Who knew a painting could say so much?"

To me, his paintings signify an era of strict religious values, emotional ambiguity and his significant rebellion towards the state and it's beliefs.

"What really matters is what you believe." - The Da Vinci Code (2003)

Idealist Spinoza held the belief that the church was secondary to the state (therefore, religion was decided by the state). His criticisms of The Bible and Political Theory made freedom of opinion important, in which he believed in "absolute logical necessity". He was a Sceptic in the sense that "nothing is true, but everything is possible."

"Life is filled with secrets. You can't learn them all at once." - The Da Vinci Code (2003) 

A glance at religion through the eyes of Da Vinci is further explored in Dan Brown's novel "The Da Vinci Code" (2003). 

For me, "The Da Vinci Code" was a very interesting summer read whereby his artwork is surrounded by various myths and narratives. There is a themed sense of urgency and I often found myself drifting in and out of the frequent historical teaching (courtesy of Langdon and Teabing), of which I found the myth surrounding his most famed painting "The Mona Lisa" the most intriguing.

"Langdon explains that the 'Mona Lisa' is an anagram of the Egyptian gods of fertility: Amon (male) and Isis (female) and is androgynous." - (http://painting.about.com/od/famouspainters/a/DaVinciCode.htm)

Even from beyond the grave, Da Vinci's interpretation of art still manages to captivate the demographic. And no matter how long we stand, stare and admire, we will never be able to view these pieces quite like we would through the eyes of the artist. 

Information and quotes sourced from The Daily Mail (24/11/11). 

For more information, visit: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html