Mona Lisa 'is' Smiling

Possibly the most famous portrait of all time,

Mona Lisa's cryptic expression has intrigued art lovers for over five

centuries. Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile has finally been

deciphered-Leonardo Da Vinci's famous creation is smiling. A

University of Amsterdam computer using “emotion recognition” software

analyzed the painting. It concluded that the subject was 83% happy, 9%

disgusted, 6% fearful, and 2% angry.

The

program, developed with researchers at the University of Illinois, US,

draws on a database of young female faces to derive an average

“neutral” expression. The software uses this average expression as the

standard for comparisons. The computer rated features such as the

curvature of the lips and crinkles around the eyes. In 2003, a scientist

from Harvard University said the way the human eye processes visual

information meant the smile was only apparent when the viewer looked at

other parts of the painting.

The

painting, which is on public display in the Louvre in Paris, was painted

between 1503-1506. The Mona Lisa became world famous when it was stolen in

1911. It was named after the sitter, most likely the Florentine wife of

Francesco del Giocondo.

The New

Scientist says that software capable of recognizing emotions just by

looking at photographs could lead to PCs that adjust their response

depending on the user's mood.

Source

www.bbc.co.uk