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The Louvre is considering moving the world-famous Mona Lisa to a dedicated room, aiming to improve the viewing experience for the museum’s millions of visitors.
The Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s enigmatic masterpiece, may soon have a room of its own at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Laurence des Cars, the museum’s president, recently announced that the Louvre is in discussions with the French Ministry of Culture to find a better solution for displaying the iconic painting.
Currently, the Mona Lisa is housed in the Salle des États, the museum’s largest room, alongside works by 16th-century Venetian masters and opposite Paolo Veronese’s massive painting, The Wedding at Cana. However, the painting’s immense popularity led to overcrowding and a less-than-ideal viewing experience for visitors.
According to des Cars, around 80% of the Louvre’s nearly nine million annual visitors, or roughly 20,000 people per day, brave the crowds to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile. Many visitors take selfies in front of the painting, which is protected by a glass case. Des Cars believes that the current situation leaves much to be desired, stating, “Visitors are not being properly received in the current room. We feel that we’re not doing our job properly.”
Moving the Mona Lisa to a dedicated space could not only improve the viewing experience for visitors but also allow other artworks in the Salle des États, such as The Wedding at Cana, to receive more attention. Vincent Delieuvin, the chief curator of 16th-century Italian painting at the Louvre, supports the initiative, noting that the museum has been considering this move for a long time and that everyone is now in agreement.
However, creating a new room for the Mona Lisa would require significant renovations, including the creation of a new entrance to the Louvre palace and two new rooms in the basement under the square courtyard. The estimated cost of these changes is around €500 million, which may prove challenging given the French government’s recent budget cuts in the cultural sector.
Despite the financial hurdles, the Louvre remains optimistic about the project. Des Cars stated, “The mood in the museum is now ripe. We have to embrace the painting’s status as a global icon, which is beyond our control.”
The Mona Lisa’s potential move to a dedicated space is not the first time the painting has been the subject of special attention. In 1911, the painting’s theft and subsequent return led to a surge in its popularity, prompting the Louvre to give it its own room. The painting’s fame also inspired countless replicas, reinterpretations and parodies by artists throughout history, further cementing its status as a cultural icon.
As the Louvre continues to explore options for improving the Mona Lisa’s display, art enthusiasts around the world eagerly await the outcome. The museum’s commitment to enhancing the visitor experience while preserving and celebrating one of the world’s most beloved artworks is a testament to the enduring power and allure of the Mona Lisa.
With AFP
