For tonight, I chose the Mona Lisa by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci,

and it was painted sometime around 1503 and 1517.

I almost didn't choose this painting because it seems so simple.

But do you know the answers to the following questions?

I didn't until I looked at the painting. What is on her head?

What is she wearing?

What are her hands doing?

What is behind her?

And I'll begin by addressing other big questions like,

What exactly does the word Mona mean?

And who is Lisa?

And why was it painted?

Then I'll describe the details of the painting

and share my thoughts about what I see.

So during this guided imagery, I want you to lay back, close your eyes and visualize

the details as I try to repaint them in your mind.

This is a guided imagery of the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

I'll begin with some facts about the painting, and then I'll describe the details I see,

and I'll share the thoughts they evoke as I repaint this masterpiece in your mind.

First, what does Mona mean?

It's a contraction of the word Madonna, which in Italian, is a polite form of addressing a woman. So Madonna is kind of similar to Madam.

And sometimes Madam is contracted to ma'am.

...