Framing historical questions is important as you study primary sources. Firsthand accounts, documents, letters, and other records of the past are primary sources. As you analyze a source, ask questions about what it means and why it is significant. Then, when you are doing research, write questions that you want to research to answer. This step will help you find and organize the information you collect.
The following passage is from the book Lives of the Artists. The author is Giorgio
Vasari, an Italian painter and biographer who lived in the 1500’s. The book examines the lives and achievements of various Renaissance artists, including Leonardo da Vinci
(1452-1519). In this passage, Visari examines the creation of da Vinci’s famous painting,
Mona Lisa. After reading the text, answer the questions below.
1.
Who produced this description and when?
2.
What unusual techniques did da Vinci employ when painting the Mona Lisa ?
3.
Do you think the information in this passage is reliable? Why or why not?
4.
Is the information in this passage historically significant? Why or why not?
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