Celebrated artist Ross Muir unveils Cona Lisa - a Glaswegian take on the world’s most famous painting

Inspired by the traffic jam of visitors in front of the original masterpiece, Muir has brought his own signature style to the artwork. His latest piece playfully reimagines the Mona Lisa wearing a traffic cone. This striking nod to Glasgow’s Duke of Wellington statue brings the city’s irreverent sense of humour to one of the world’s most recognisable works of art.

“The Mona Lisa is so famous, but in Paris you couldn’t get near it,” says Muir. “I just stood back and observed. It reminded me of traffic, and of course, cones. I thought – why not paint her with one? It’s a nod to the Duke of Wellington, which for me sums up Glasgow. It wasn’t easy – in fact, it was one of the most difficult pieces I’ve done – but I fell in love with it.”

The Duke of Wellington statue, regularly adorned with a traffic cone, was described by Banksy as one of his favourite works of art in the UK.

Ross Muir recreates famous artworks and imagery with a contemporary twist. He grew up in Alexandria in the Vale of Leven, Scotland, before moving to Glasgow in 2009. After received a small set of paints as a gift, Muir was aged 30 when he started his artistic practice with no formal training.

Producing prints and paintings, Muir’s work focuses on altered replications of famous artists and imagery. In 2018, his original painting of the Dutch Impressionist master Vincent van Gogh, entitled Square Gogh, went viral online within a matter of days. Muir’s widespread success on social media saw many galleries interested in his work. In October 2019, Muir had his first solo exhibition in Glasgow city centre.

Ross Muir’s work is available for sale at GoMA and Kelvingrove Art Gallery.

To celebrate the release, Cona Lisa prints are now available to purchase exclusively at rossmuirart.com.