Describe a piece of artwork that you have seen before

Band 8 Sample

Today I would like to tell you about one of the most well-known paintings in the world, which is also my personal favourite, the portrait of Mona Lisa.

You know, the painting was created by Leonardo da Vinci, the famous Italian artist from the 15^th century. When I first saw this painting in one of my high school textbooks, I just couldn’t take my eyes off it due to some mysterious attractiveness.

At first sight, all I noticed in the painting was a long-haired woman with a friendly smile on her face, which was quite round, and she had no eyebrows either. The more I looked at it though, the more I felt like she was actually smiling at me.

Some people have claimed that Mona Lisa was simply an imaginary character while others have believed that she was actually Leonardo’s wife. Honestly, it doesn’t really matter to me though because I think that the Mona Lisa is a masterpiece that attracts people with that magical smile. This is also one of the main reasons why I am a fan of the painting.

In terms of the actual truths behind this portrait though, I guess we may never know, but I think that secrets make everything all the more intriguing.

Vocabulary highlights:

1. portrait – a picture of someone’s face
2. couldn’t take my eyes off it – when something is so interesting or beautiful that you can’t stop looking at it
3. mysterious attractiveness – when something is beautiful but you cannot explain why
4. at first sight – the first time you look or see something
5. imaginary – something that is not real, and only exists in someone’s mind
6. masterpiece – a work of art such as a painting, film or book that is made with great skill