Every year, millions of people flock to the Louvre with the primary aim of catching a glimpse of the museum's most famous work of art, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. However, the rush to see the painting, which measures just 77 x 53 cm, has made this nearly impossible. In recent years, it has become even more difficult due to the forest of smartphones held up by visitors taking photos.
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A visit to the Mona Lisa has therefore turned into a disappointing experience for many of the Louvre's more than 8 million annual visitors. In April this year, museum director Laurence des Cars announced a proposal to move Leonardo's masterpiece from its current location in the Denon Wing to a specially created exhibition space. Additionally, plans were put forward for constructing a new underground entrance that would lead directly to the Mona Lisa.
See also: Mona Lisa: Art History's Ultimate Muse
Of course, realising such a plan is not cheap. According to Le Figaro, the Louvre anticipates construction costs of €500 million. However, as a source from the Ministry of Culture revealed to The Art Newspaper, there is one major player that will definitely not contribute to the financing: the French state, whose austerity measures also affect the cultural sector.
See also: A Brief History of the Louvre: The World's Largest Museum
Whether the large-scale project will ever materialise is therefore uncertain. However, if you really want to see the Mona Lisa, you could simply bring patience and consideration to the museum along with your smartphone to make the experience more enjoyable for yourself and others. Alternatively, you could follow Kendall Jenner's recent example and have the Louvre gates opened exclusively for yourself at midnight, allowing you to enjoy all the works of art, including the Mona Lisa, in peace and quiet - and barefoot too! It is not known whether or how much the member of the Kardashian clan had to pay for this privilege. Nonetheless, such extravagances could certainly be a lucrative source of income for the museum to realise their remodelling dreams.
