Between 8 and 10 million enthusiasts and tourists visit the Louvre in Paris every year. Surveys have already shown that the Mona Lisa, the world-famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci that hangs there, is the main reason for this. A confrontation with the laughing woman is a dream for many art lovers, but also for tourists.
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Although there is also a downside: a recent survey – not representative, but indicative – showed that the Mona Lisa is the most disappointing work of art in the world. That has everything to do with the circumstances in which you see the painting. The large number of visitors makes it difficult to get a good look at the work in the Salle des Etats, where it hangs in the middle, and because of the crowds, visitors only have an average of 50 seconds to absorb it. This has already been frequently criticized.
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The Mona Lisa currently hangs in the Louvre in Paris. — © AFP
New space
At the beginning of April, employees and curators of the Louvre met to discuss how to better welcome visitors, according to reports Le Figaro. And a new project, called ‘Grand Louvre’, was also unveiled there. With a central role for the Mona Lisa, because it would be housed in a new space specially designed for her.
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“If we hang the Mona Lisa in a separate room, it could end the public’s disappointment,” said museum director Laurence des Cars. According to her, the painting does not do justice to its full potential in the current space.
“If we hang the Mona Lisa in a separate room, it could end the public’s disappointment”
Laurence des Cars
Director Louvre
“We have been thinking about moving the work for a long time,” says curator Vincent Delieuvin Le Figaro. “And this time everyone finally agrees. It’s a large room and the Mona Lisa would hang at the back of it, behind safety glass, so at first it looks like a postage stamp. Leonardo da Vinci wanted a direct connection between the painting and the person looking at it. That could be possible here.”
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The Mona Lisa would be housed in a new space specially designed for her. — © AFP
Major renovation
However, the move will not be easy, because it requires a new entrance and two new spaces must be created in the basement. The Mona Lisa would then be housed in one of those two.
However, the move will not be easy, because it will require a new entrance
The renovation is expected to cost around 500 million euros, a hefty price tag for the French government. The Ministry of Culture is of course in favor, but culture expenditure is also strictly monitored in France. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire wants to save 25 billion in the coming years and has already asked the cultural sector to do its part. He is in favor of the new project in the Louvre, but the question is whether he thinks it is too pricey. “But the time is right to do it,” says Des Cars. “We must embrace the painting’s status as a global icon.”
