It's time to crack the LEGO® Da Vinci Code! The new Mona Lisa LEGO® Art set hides not only a mysterious smile but also many recoloured elements to re-imagine the famous painting in bricks. And by the way, the frame puts all previous gold rushes in the shade. Let's have a closer look at the colour layers while the paint is still fresh.
Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.
- Price: US$99.99/ £89.99/ 99.99€/ AU$169.99
- Pieces: 1503
- Release date: 1 October 2024
LEGO Art 31213 Mona Lisa on LEGO.com
This year, LEGO is celebrating two Parisian icons. After LEGO® Architecture 21061 Notre Dame (as reviewed by Eero) it's off to the Louvre to see another dame: Mona Lisa. While both sets were announced at the same time and Notre Dame was released in June, this LEGO Art set will be available come October.
Recolours
The LEGO Mona Lisa comes with an overwhelming amount of recoloured elements – 36 total – which will come in handy for builders who work in earthy tones.
Many of them are in light nougat, which is the primary colour her skin is recreated with. The popularity of this former minifigure colour is currently on the rise with more and more brick-built characters appearing in LEGO sets, so it's surprising that some of these ordinary elements haven't been needed before.
- 2x Tile 1 x 1 with Groove in Light Nougat (6480394 | 3070b)
- 3x Tile 2 x 2 with Groove in Light Nougat (6480361 | 3068b)
- 4x Tile 2 x 3 in Light Nougat (6480378 | 26603)
- 1x Tile Special 2 x 2 with 2 Quarter Round Cutouts in Light Nougat (6480364 | 3396)
- 2x Tile 45° Cut 2 x 2 (Triangle) in Light Nougat (6480369 | 35787)
- 1x Slope Curved 2 x 1 with Stud Notch Left in Light Nougat (6480356 | 29120)
- 1x Slope Curved 2 x 1 with Stud Notch Right in Light Nougat (6480371 | 29119)
- 2x Wedge Plate 2 x 2 Left in Light Nougat (6480357 | 24299)
- 1x Wedge Plate 2 x 2 Right in Light Nougat (6490452 | 24307)
- 2x Wedge Plate 3 x 2 Left in Light Nougat (6480355 | 43723)
- 1x Wedge Plate 3 x 2 Right in Light Nougat (6480372 | 43722)
While most of them come in small quantities, their appearance here will hopefully pave the way to stock up your supplies at LEGO Pick a Brick, but probably not until February 2025.
Meanwhile, 371 Warm Tan [TLG]/ Medium Tan [BL] is still a very new LEGO colour, introduced to widen the diversity of skin tones on characters. The only exception prior to this was a LEGO® Harry Potter BrickHeadz (40616) with four bricks in that colour. Mona Lisa doubles that with another eight elements in warm tan.
- 1x Tile 3 x 3 Curved, Macaroni in Warm Tan (6480659 | 79393)
- 4x Tile Round 1 x 1 Quarter in Warm Tan (6480667 | 25269)
- 3x Tile Round 1 x 1 Half Circle in Warm Tan (6490473 | 24246 35398 35399)
- 1x Tile Special 2 x 2 with 2 Quarter Round Cutouts in Warm Tan (6480661 | 3396)
- 1x Slope Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 in Warm Tan (6480663 | 15068)
- 7x Tile 1 x 2 with Groove in Warm Tan (6480660 | 3069b)
- 6x Tile 45° Cut 2 x 2 (Triangle) in Warm Tan (6480666 | 35787)
- 1x Tile 1 x 2 with Stud Notch Right in Warm Tan (6491460 | 5092)
- 1x Tile 1 x 2 with Stud Notch Left in Warm Tan (6491459 | 5091)
These next parts say "I ❤ Medium Nougat". Both rounded plates appear here in that colour for the first time:
The variety of dark tan wedge plates and tiles also gets expanded.
- 6x Wedge Plate 2 x 4 27° Left in Dark Tan (6480358 | 65429)
- 6x Wedge Plate 2 x 4 27° Right in Dark Tan (6480359 | 65426)
- 5x Tile 45° Cut 2 x 2 (Triangle) in Dark Tan (6480380 | 35787)
Fans of medieval builds will love the addition of these elements in dark brown:
- 4x Tile 45° Cut 2 x 2 (Triangle) in Dark Brown (6480375 | 35787)
- 4x Wedge Plate 2 x 2 Left in Dark Brown (6480379 | 24299)
- 4x Wedge Plate 2 x 2 Right in Dark Brown (6480362 | 24307)
- 18x Tile Round 1 x 1 Quarter in Dark Brown (6462538 | 25269)
Tile 45° Cut 2 x 2 (Triangle) comes with this set in four new colours, so it's a great opportunity to show the earthy colour range now possible with this piece:
Beginning on the left in the photo above we have light nougat, warm tan, medium nougat, tan, dark tan and dark brown.
Further recolours are even introduced for the background of the painting and while the bright light blue tiles get scattered out almost randomly, it's satisfying to get both sides in the same quantity:
The "Only Child" pieces
The face of the Mona Lisa isn't perfectly symmetrical, so the LEGO version follows suit, which leads to a not insignificant number of the asymmetrical LEGO pieces included. I call a piece like this an "Only Child", lacking its mirrored sibling. Keep that in mind if you intend to use them in your builds, as it can might cause some frustration.
- 1x Slope Curved 2 x 2 with Stud Notch Left in Light Nougat (6490474 | 5095)
- 1x Tile 1 x 2 with Stud Notch Left in Light Nougat (6490449 | 5091)
- 1x Slope Curved 2 x 1 with Stud Notch Right in Warm Tan (6480665 | 29119)
- 1x Wedge Plate 3 x 2 Right in Warm Tan (6480662 | 43722)
- 2x Wedge 4 x 2 Right in Dark Brown (6490475 | 41767)
New prints
Three new decorated elements are included for her face:
- 1x Slope Curved 2 x 1 No Studs with print in Light Nougat (6483411)
- 1x Tile 2 x 2 with print in Light Nougat (6494133)
- 1x Tile 1 x 3 with print in Light Nougat (6483410)
Gold parts
Next to the artwork, another reason to steal the LEGO Mona Lisa is the ridiculous 314 pieces in 335 Gold Ink [TLG]/ Metallic Gold [BL], making this set the highest part count for that colour.
These are the most frequent parts:
- 160x Brick Curved 1 x 1 x 2/3 Double Curved Top, No Studs (6286351 | 66187)
- 80x Tile Special 1 x 2 Ingot (6294492 | 67117)
- 50x Tile 1 x 6 with Groove (6332144 | 75702)
All of them are integrated into the frame and the set easily outclasses the previous contenders 76191 Infinity Gauntlet (with 153) and 80012 Monkey King Warrior Mech (119) by more than double. We will have to wait and see if this single-set count will ever be surpassed.
See all Gold Ink pieces currently available on LEGO Pick a Brick
The build
This is first LEGO Art set I've built, so it was an interesting experience. It starts with the golden frame, which is pretty repetitive and uses just a few different pieces, along with reddish brown elements in similarly large quantities, such as 84x Slope Inverted 45° 2 x 2 (6425510 | 76959).
The tedious placement of all those /metallic gold pieces is worth it, as the finished frame is shining in the light.
As Mona was still on her way, I temporarily filled the frame with one of my builds:
Next comes the canvas which forms the basis for Leonardo's masterpiece. The original is made of thin poplar wood.
In the framework, a white wall hanger is integrated for easier mounting later.
The LEGO canvas is 30 studs x 46 studs, which is equal to circa 24 x 37 cm; about half the dimensions of the actual painting. The ratio of the portrait is almost right, but would be closer if the LEGO painting was two studs wider.
First we paint the background with a light aqua sky and mountains. Tiles and plates with a 45° cut try to create a 3D-effect, which works with the mountain on the left, but sometimes feels scattered in this scale.
On the right-hand side the indication of a path is built that leads into the mountain landscape which will develop further as it gets built over.
The artwork starts in 2D but then develops into the third dimension and becomes thicker.
1 x 2 Technic bricks will later enable the frame and picture to be connected to form a solid unit.
One of the very few SNOT-usage exceptions is at the top of Mona Lisa's hair. The parting of her hair is recreated with a medium nougat 1x2 tile and, of course, has to be at a very specific position to look right on her slightly turned face.
The build then continues with more layering and the mysterious lady slowly takes on more shape.
Sometimes the instructions try to recreate the art of painting by getting closer to the final colour with each layer of plates. This might not be necessary but it does let you feel more like an artist while building.
The slightly angled décolleté fills the gap; a clever and surprisingly smooth technique.
A further great usage of pieces is the 1x3 inverted slope, which works around this specific wedge plate not existing.
The combination with the dark brown wedge plate taught me how well these two pieces fit together.
Another elaborate detail are the hands, where the fingers of the right hand are built separately.
The little finger, ring finger and middle finger are attached in one unit at a 45° angle, while the index finger gets its own treatment.
The final "brush stroke" is the face, which is the reason for most of the light nougat colour-changes. In terms of building techniques, there isn't anything special to mention, but the recreation of her face gives more than enough to talk about.
The finished art
There she stands, the Mona Lisa.
The LEGO version of the most popular painting in the world. While I haven't had the chance to glimpse the original in Paris, the build is instantly recognizable and conveys a seriousness that seems worthy of a museum; especially with its golden frame.
 |
| Right: Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons |
However, in a direct comparison with the original, the colours are the first thing that catches the eye. But we have to keep in mind that this greenish and darker shade comes from its more than 500 years of age and we don't know exactly what colours the painting originally had. This allows The LEGO Group to justify its own version, which is probably a good idea as there would not have been the exact LEGO colours to recreate the painting's current look.
While building, I wondered what the three black tiles at the bottom represent, but that became clearer when I noticed the chair on the original.
Leonardo employed a technique called "sfumato," which involves the delicate blending of colours and tones to create soft transitions between light and shadow, something that is quite the opposite of how building with LEGO colours works. Still, the set tries to mimic that.
One example are the hands, where the lower sections are more in the shadow and therefore use a darker shade. Even though light nougat and warm tan are very close on the LEGO colour spectrum, it creates a hard line which looks unnatural.
The biggest controversy has been about the face, which received some harsh comments when the set was revealed. What I like about it is the way the curved slopes on the left and the warm tan shadows on the right create a 3D-effect. But what I don't like is the square shadow on the forehead and the blocky nose. The nose specifically destroys some of the immersion in the work, though I wouldn't know how to make it better.
One of the biggest mysteries about the Mona Lisa is her smile, which the printed piece does not capture very well. It feels like the corners of the mouth would need to extend to the pieces on the left and right, but that's an impossible print.
As for the printed eyes ,I'm pretty happy with them and they create a bit of a following effect when you hang the painting on your wall.
Surprisingly, LEGO also includes both eye elements unprinted if you like that better. But the mouth remains.
Conclusion
Did we need a LEGO version of the Mona Lisa? Perhaps not, but here it is; either to hang on your wall or, like so many works of art, to use as a conversation starter. Technically, it's not badly made, but it's still an interpretation that doesn't come close to the original in every aspect.
Another option is to make yourself smile – this set is full of interesting recolours and a jump start for your collection of warm tan pieces. With that, Leonardo da Vinci's motivation to paint the Mona Lisa has finally been revealed: it was to give us 36 recolours to inspire new inventors and artists in the long run.
READ MORE: LEGO® Wednesday: October sets available to pre-order
Help New Elementary keep publishing articles like this. Become a Patron!
A huge thank you to all our patrons for your support, especially our 'Vibrant Coral' tier: London AFOLs, Antonio Serra, Beyond the Brick, Huw Millington, Dave Schefcik, David and Breda Fennell, Gerald Lasser, Baixo LMmodels, Sue Ann Barber and Trevor Clark, Markus Rollbühler, Elspeth De Montes, Megan Lum, Andy Price, Chuck Hagenbuch, Jf, Wayne R. Tyler, Daniel Church, Lukas Kurth (StoneWars), Timo Luehnen, Chris Wight, Jonathan Breidert and our newest top-tier patron, Brick Owl! You folks are just the cutest little baby bows.
All text and images are ©2024 New Elementary unless otherwise attributed.
Ooh, the Medium Nougat heart plate is a pleasant surprise to me — hadn't noticed it in the official images since it's tiled over in the final build!
ReplyDeleteI also love that even with colors like Warm Tan still only used for skin tones, sets like this and certain BrickHeadz continue to provide us with useful building elements in that color. It's a perfect color for representing certain types of hardwood floors and furniture such as oak which are often darker than Brick Yellow, lighter than Sand Yellow, and less orange-ish than the Nougat family of colors.
That photo of the triangle tiles really showcases how beneficial this increased range of earth tones can be! And your photos of the Dark Brown pieces in particular have me craving dark chocolate all of a sudden…
Good review overall! It's definitely exciting that the LEGO Art theme has been expanding beyond simple 2D "pop art" mosaics into various sorts of artwork that one might not normally think possible in LEGO (and providing us with plenty of interesting parts and building techniques in the process). I think the designers did a very impressive job here with the low-relief sculpting/contouring and the subtle color gradations. And I'm certainly eager to see what else the LEGO Art team might come up with in the future!