--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Then she smiled that subtle, mysterious…" description: "\"“Then she smiled that subtle, mysterious Mona Lisa smile of hers that tilted the corners of her lush mouth and caused the tiny lines at the corners of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/thea-harrison-1089_mona-lisa_then-she-smiled-that-subtle-mysterious-m_811032.jpg" --- # Then she smiled that subtle, mysterious Mona Lisa smile of… ![“Then she smiled that subtle, mysterious Mona Lisa smile of hers that tilted the corners of her lush mouth and caused the tiny lines at the corners of her eyes to crease, where that bastard mortality had stroked her velvet skin with skeletal fingers and carved his mark on her before she had kicked…” quote by Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/thea-harrison-1089_mona-lisa_then-she-smiled-that-subtle-mysterious-m_811032.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/thea-harrison-1089_mona-lisa_then-she-smiled-that-subtle-mysterious-m_811032.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/thea-harrison-1089_mona-lisa_then-she-smiled-that-subtle-mysterious-m_811032.jpg) > ““Then she smiled that subtle, mysterious Mona Lisa smile of hers that tilted the corners of her lush mouth and caused the tiny lines at the corners of her eyes to crease, where that bastard mortality had stroked her velvet skin with skeletal fingers and carved his mark on her before she had kicked him in the balls.”” [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Beauty and mortality intertwine, revealing how vulnerability can be both alluring and painful. **In simple terms:** Mortal flaws meet beauty’s mystery. Key Takeaway Embrace both strength and fragility. Themes beauty mortality vulnerability Mood melancholic introspective Type fictional poetic When to use this quote - personal relationships - artistic inspiration - self‑acceptance - overcoming fear Key Concepts existentialism romanticism Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging mortality affect love? - Can vulnerability be a source of power? A Different Perspective The metaphor may obscure practical coping strategies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mona Lisa Smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mona-lisa-smile/) ## Related quotes > [“Graff smiled a little Mona Lisa smile, if Mona Lisa had been a pudgy colonel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/graff-smiled-a-little-mona-lisa-smile-if-mona-lisa-had-been-a-pudgy/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Vita had the same crooked smile I had, and that many of the women in my family had, what we called our Mona Lisa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helene-stapinski/vita-had-the-same-crooked-smile-i-had-and-that-many-of-the-women-in/) Helene Stapinski > [“One moment, she was wearing clothing, and the next moment, she was wearing a bikini. Fifty percent of the world was brown skin and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/one-moment-she-was-wearing-clothing-and-the-next-moment-she-was/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [For all cats have this particularity, each and every one, from the meanest alley sneaker to the proudest, whitest she that ever graced a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/for-all-cats-have-this-particularity-each-and-every-one-from-the/) [Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/) > [“What he’d seen before, in those ages-ago times, the days before the people had been taught by the gods how to draw the metals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toneye-eyenot/what-he-d-seen-before-in-those-ages-ago-times-the-days-before-the/) Toneye Eyenot > [Mona Lisa smile, that bitch barely grinning. Take you off the face of the Earth like a blemish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/mona-lisa-smile-that-bitch-barely-grinning-take-you-off-the-face-of/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [I don't want to say too many words about the magic of the Cube, because it's basically a mystery. It's like the Mona Lisa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erno-rubik/i-don-t-want-to-say-too-many-words-about-the-magic-of-the-cube/) [Erno Rubik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erno-rubik/) > [“He hadn’t been aware of staring, but when her questioning gaze locked with his, Grey felt as though he’d been smacked upside the head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/he-hadn-t-been-aware-of-staring-but-when-her-questioning-gaze-locked/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) > [“My heart aches with pent-up yearning as I hold the girl of my dreams in my arms. I look into those wonderful eyes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-diaz-granados/my-heart-aches-with-pent-up-yearning-as-i-hold-the-girl-of-my-dreams/) [Alex Diaz-Granados](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-diaz-granados/) > [“As Samantha wrapped the ornament in paper, and placed it in a bag, Mrs. Ryan said, “Hearts are like that spun glass, beautiful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-hoffa/as-samantha-wrapped-the-ornament-in-paper-and-placed-it-in-a-bag-mrs/) [Tamara Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-hoffa/) > [“The good painter has to paint two principal things, man and the intention of his mind,” he wrote. “The first is easy and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/the-good-painter-has-to-paint-two-principal-things-man-and-the/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“Blowing out a breath, she glanced down at Liam. He lifted his head and smiled at her. Good God, look at those teeth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/blowing-out-a-breath-she-glanced-down-at-liam-he-lifted-his-head-and/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [Too many people are worried about having results NOW...the Mona Lisa was not created in a day. Perfection takes time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/too-many-people-are-worried-about-having-results-now-the-mona-lisa/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“This is the Mona Lisa of bad diners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-clowes/this-is-the-mona-lisa-of-bad-diners/) [Daniel Clowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-clowes/) > [My favourite song of Elton's is... it's a tricky one for me. I'm a proper fan and I've probably seen him in concert about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-lucas/my-favourite-song-of-elton-s-is-it-s-a-tricky-one-for-me-i-m-a-proper/) [Matt Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-lucas/) ## More by Thea Harrison > [“She had been lonely, the kiss hadn't meant anything, and he was clearly regretting it. How many mistakes did that sentence encapsulate in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/she-had-been-lonely-the-kiss-hadn-t-meant-anything-and-he-was-clearly/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“Buck up,” she whispered to him. “Don’t be such a wuss.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/buck-up-she-whispered-to-him-don-t-be-such-a-wuss/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“If you die, I will find you. I will never leave you. I will never let you go. I will not let you fall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/if-you-die-i-will-find-you-i-will-never-leave-you-i-will-never-let/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“He looked at Chloe "Come over to the table. Sit with your aunt. I will clear away the mess and…I will achieve pancakes." Grace's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/he-looked-at-chloe-come-over-to-the-table-sit-with-your-aunt-i-will/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“He stared at her neck. Realization pulsed. He was looking at the bite he had given her. A hard length was growing against her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/he-stared-at-her-neck-realization-pulsed-he-was-looking-at-the-bite/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“That may be so, but his faerie had suffered too much and he had had more than enough. If anybody so much as looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/that-may-be-so-but-his-faerie-had-suffered-too-much-and-he-had-had/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“My worst mistake ever. We should not talk about that penny any more, la la la.” He pulled her hands down. “We’re never going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/my-worst-mistake-ever-we-should-not-talk-about-that-penny-any-more-la/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“The harpy’s eyes were wide with wonder. “So that’s Adriyel. No wonder it’s famous in poems and shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/the-harpy-s-eyes-were-wide-with-wonder-so-that-s-adriyel-no-wonder-it/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“Xanthe, you are the most beautiful surprise in my life. I hardly noticed you at first. You carry the quiet of a river with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/xanthe-you-are-the-most-beautiful-surprise-in-my-life-i-hardly/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“Listen to me. I did not say I was falling in love with you, if only you would hide some part of yourself or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/listen-to-me-i-did-not-say-i-was-falling-in-love-with-you-if-only-you/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“If you ever try to do anything to restrict my movements again, you’ll find out I know how to hold a grudge too,” she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/if-you-ever-try-to-do-anything-to-restrict-my-movements-again-you-ll/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“See, I told you it would all work out,” Niniane said to Tiago. “You are, as always, perfectly right,” Tiago told her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/see-i-told-you-it-would-all-work-out-niniane-said-to-tiago-you-are-as/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“Oh, I don’t want to pat you on the head, faerie,” he said low in his throat in a deep purring growl that vibrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/oh-i-don-t-want-to-pat-you-on-the-head-faerie-he-said-low-in-his/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“Niniane thought she saw something odd as Aryal looked back at them. The harpy's eyes were narrowed, her angular face white with strain. Niniane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/niniane-thought-she-saw-something-odd-as-aryal-looked-back-at-them/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“These jokers were not that complicated. Death-by-stupidity was the cause as far as Tiago was concerned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/these-jokers-were-not-that-complicated-death-by-stupidity-was-the/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) [Explore all 295 Thea Harrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) ## More Mona lisa quotes > [My favourite song of Elton's is... it's a tricky one for me. I'm a proper fan and I've probably seen him in concert about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-lucas/my-favourite-song-of-elton-s-is-it-s-a-tricky-one-for-me-i-m-a-proper/) [Matt Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-lucas/) > [“This is the Mona Lisa of bad diners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-clowes/this-is-the-mona-lisa-of-bad-diners/) [Daniel Clowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-clowes/) > [Too many people are worried about having results NOW...the Mona Lisa was not created in a day. Perfection takes time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/too-many-people-are-worried-about-having-results-now-the-mona-lisa/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You know, people call mystery novels or thrillers 'puzzles.' I never understood that, because when I buy a puzzle, I already know what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/you-know-people-call-mystery-novels-or-thrillers-puzzles-i-never/) [Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/) > [Inside the museum infinity goes up on trial. Voices echo, 'This is what salvation must be like after a while.' But Mona Lisa must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/inside-the-museum-infinity-goes-up-on-trial-voices-echo-this-is-what/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [The curious thing about that moustache and goatee is that when you look at the Mona Lisa it becomes a man. It is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/the-curious-thing-about-that-moustache-and-goatee-is-that-when-you/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [“Like the famous lady in the frame (Mona Lisa), to many we remain a mystery”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-jenner/like-the-famous-lady-in-the-frame-mona-lisa-to-many-we-remain-a/) [Kris Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-jenner/) > [A lotta cats copy the Mona Lisa, but people still line up to see the original.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-armstrong/a-lotta-cats-copy-the-mona-lisa-but-people-still-line-up-to-see-the/) [Louis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-armstrong/) > [What I am trying to say is that it is not without any value. The value of copies is that they can direct us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/what-i-am-trying-to-say-is-that-it-is-not-without-any-value-the-value/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [How could we possibly appreciate the Mona Lisa if Leonardo had written at the bottom of the canvas: 'The lady is smiling because she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kubrick/how-could-we-possibly-appreciate-the-mona-lisa-if-leonardo-had/) [Stanley Kubrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kubrick/) > [. . . a jostling scrum of office buildings so mediocre that the only way you ever remember them is by the frustration they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-charles/a-jostling-scrum-of-office-buildings-so-mediocre-that-the-only-way/) [Prince Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-charles/) > [When his eyes gazed upon her, he thought of Mona Lisa. All these suitors going by looking at beautiful objects until they came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-carlson/when-his-eyes-gazed-upon-her-he-thought-of-mona-lisa-all-these/) [Joseph Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-carlson/) > [You should definitely visit the Louvre, a world-famous art museum where you can view, at close range, the backs of thousands of other tourists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/you-should-definitely-visit-the-louvre-a-world-famous-art-museum/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [“But is the Mona Lisa really art? Well then, what about an undetectably perfect copy of the Mona Lisa? That comparison (however sneaky) points…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bayles/but-is-the-mona-lisa-really-art-well-then-what-about-an-undetectably/) [David Bayles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bayles/) > [“People going to see the Mona Lisa, not to look at it, but because it's the Mona Lisa”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pope/people-going-to-see-the-mona-lisa-not-to-look-at-it-but-because-it-s/) [Paul Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pope/) Browse all 88 Mona lisa quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Then she smiled that subtle, mysterious Mona Lisa smile of hers that tilted the corners of her lush mouth and caused the tiny lines at the corners of her eyes to crease, where that bastard mortality had stroked her velvet skin with skeletal fingers and carved his mark on her before she had kicked him in the balls.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thea Harrison" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/then-she-smiled-that-subtle-mysterious-mona-lisa-smile-of-hers-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Mona lisa" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/then-she-smiled-that-subtle-mysterious-mona-lisa-smile-of-hers-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/thea-harrison-1089_mona-lisa_then-she-smiled-that-subtle-mysterious-m_811032.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/thea-harrison-1089_mona-lisa_then-she-smiled-that-subtle-mysterious-m_811032.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdb/thea-harrison-1089_mona-lisa_then-she-smiled-that-subtle-mysterious-m_811032.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Then she smiled that subtle, mysterious Mona Lisa smile of hers that tilted the corners of her lush mouth…” — Thea Harrison", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thea Harrison", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Then she smiled that subtle, mysterious...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/then-she-smiled-that-subtle-mysterious-mona-lisa-smile-of-hers-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/then-she-smiled-that-subtle-mysterious-mona-lisa-smile-of-hers-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```