What? You are claiming it was a thought because it was painted?

I'm not following that.

I'm not following that. — Banno

No?

Couldn't you be wrong here? Couldn't it be that da Vinci didn't have a plan for which he could not find the words? What was that thought? Is there something da Vinci meant but could not say, or just a feeling as to what he wanted to paint?

If da Vinci could not say it, how could he mean it?

↪baker But, if it can't be put into worlds*, then it's not a thought?

Why not? — Banno

Because that's how we define "thoughts". That's why we speak of "thoughts" and "feelings", two separate things.



*Nice typo there. :)

Are you claiming that it was a thought before it was painted
— Banno
Not before only, because. — Pantagruel

In that case, we're talking about symbols:
A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different concepts and experiences. All communication (and data processing) is achieved through the use of symbols. Symbols take the form of words, sounds, gestures, ideas, or visual images and are used to convey other ideas and beliefs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbol


As in, you say "Mona Lisa", and you mean something like, "That painting that is so famous; the painting of a woman with a smile that has in Western modern culture become a synonym for "mysterious"". Ie., this is a thought.