Intro: How to look at a painting

In the introduction The Annotated Mona Lisa, as the title suggests it is explained how to look at a painting. In knowing how to view works of art you can then more than just look at the pieces, but, immerse yourself  in them and really feel the emotions put into each work. When viewing painting things to pay attention to in order to have a more immersive and holistic view of the painting are colors, composition, lighting, the mood and movement. For example, in Birth of Venus by Botticelli the colors used are very natural tones relating back to what is a very natural thing (a birth) and these natural colors also help strengthen the element of realism. The composition as viewed by someone who has not viewed many paintings is fairly simple to see with Venus as the central image framed by a triangle making her the center of attention in all her beauty. Then the mood is very interesting very calm and it seems everyone in the painting already know what to do as this unnatural event occurs. All components listed above help contribute to this mood.