How to explain the puzzle of the world economy
Welcome to the Mona Lisa effect
What is mona lisa doing? At first glance the subject of the world’s most famous painting seems to be smiling. Look again and her smile fades. When it next reappears, it is a different sort of smile. Leonardo da Vinci achieved this ambiguous effect with the use of sfumato, where he blurred the lines around Mona Lisa’s face. No matter how many times you look, you are unsure quite what is happening.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “The Mona Lisa effect”
Finance & economics April 22nd 2023
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