(2018) I visited The Louvre last week. Not sure when, I think it was this last Saturday. I'm so jet-lagged that all sense of time has fled. (Went to bad last night at 7pm, woke up at 11pm, and I've been awake since due to insomnia.)
During the rush of that day, seeing as many tourist spots as possible, we got two hours in The Louvre. (Second time visiting; both times were only two hours). When I visited a couple years ago I didn't seek out the Mona Lisa. Didn't care to. Not that She's not worth seeing, just that the painting has a reputation for being overly crowded.
And it is overly crowded. There are no exaggerations to the rumors.
And it's also in front of a lot of glass, where there's a lot of reflection. Not to mention all the people who crowded the front to take selfies.
I did push myself to the front, not to take a selfie, because it's something I'm not into, but to see it as clearly as possible. Thoughts? The Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci, is smaller than I thought it would be. The glass takes away the texture of the piece. The forced roped distance makes it hard to study and analyze. The crowds take away from the experience. It's a little stifling.
But am I glad I saw Her? Yes.
She's iconic. Trend setting. Inspirational. Contemplative.
Suddenly this little sneaky thought in the back in my mind wondered, "But could She also be overrated?" Nothing else in The Louvre garners such attention, though much art deserves it. Isn't that some sort of metaphor for modern life?
The Louvre had two other Leonardo da Vinci artworks, which no one seemed to care.
The Mona Lisa sits in a room surrounded by more stunning art.
(I have no idea what's going on in this picture, just thought it was cool.)
