see the mona lisa

If to the Louvre only to see that is not worth it… but the if you see all the Louvre yes it’s worth it

I mean, its not going to change your life, but if you go see it you can see all the other wonderful stuff in the Louvre.

(...not too sure of the exact meaning of that but I do like to say it!) Anyway, I can’t believe so many people think this is not worth it! It was everything I hoped it would be and more. I sneaked off to Paris one weekend in January (as you do) with the sole purpose of crossing this off my list. I went straight to the Louvre; no queue to get in so was already onto a winner! Spent the next couple of hours exploring other sections of the meuseum, building the anticipation so to speak!. When I finally got to it, approaching from behind, I was nearly sick with nerves. I’ve had this woman’s image overlooking my bed for years and I’d heard so many negative things about the actual real life painting that I was afraid I’d be disapointed. But I had nothing to fear. It was like everyone else in the room disappeared and it was just me and her. Is it totally crazy to say that I think we shared a moment? It was like she was looking right at me, with a somewhat knowing yet approving look. Yes, it does sound insane but I left feeling like I’d just won the noble prize for greatness. And I didn’t even paint the thing! Totally woth it!

Why is it not worth it? The crowd starts to thicken two wings away from “The Mona Lisa” and by the time you get to it, it’s a sea of camera flashes and people. It’s not a “personal” experience at all. If you want a breathtaking experience, find a piece of art you like for its own merit (NOT solely for its popularity) and locate that instead.

It was hard to really appreciate da Vinci’s sfumato technique with so many people crushing each other to take pictures of her, even though signs were clearly pointing out that photography wasn’t allowed. But I’m not going to complain, because I had to take a few pictures myself. It was the only way you could actually zoom in afterwards and see her face, and even then there was a big sheen in the picture from the 1 and 1/2 inch thick glass. Not worth it at all. A guard at the museum even told me the real one is locked somewhere in a vault, and that the one on display is a copy. You can’t imagine how disappointed I felt after hearing that.

If you want Leonardo, go check out the Madonna of the Rocks. It’s just as stunning, and there’s a lot less people crowded round it. Oh, and it’s bigger too!

But, then again, I enjoy the Impressionists so much more…and they’re not even allowed in the Louvre!

That’s right – she was my Valentine’s Day date tonight. It was pretty hot.

it’s so much smaller than you would expect!

I entered the room where she is displayed and wondered what the large crowd was looking at. It’s the little painting in the large box across the room. I had no idea the painting was so small. When I see it on tv now I can remember seeing the brush strokes and the importance it has in history. The museum is a wonderful place to visit. So is Paris – go there once in your life.

and visit the Louvre. Voila, goal completed. OK so it may not be that easy. :)