New Plans Unveiled to Move the Mona Lisa in the Louvre: Major Renovation Expected

Between 8 and 10 million enthusiasts and tourists visit the Louvre in Paris every year. Studies have already shown that the main reason for this is the Mona Lisa, the world-famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci that hangs there. Confrontation with the smiling woman is a dream for many art lovers, but also for tourists.

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Although there are also disadvantages: a recent study showed – not representative, but indicative – that the Mona Lisa is the most disappointing work of art in the world. It all has to do with the situation in which you see the picture. 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 center, and because of the crowd, visitors only have an average of 50 seconds to include. This has already been criticized many times.

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A new place

At the beginning of April, Louvre staff and curators met to discuss how to better welcome visitors, according to reports With Figaro. And a new project, named ‘Grand Louvre’, was also unveiled there. With a central place for Mona Lisa, because it would be kept in a new place specially designed for her.

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“If we hung the Mona Lisa in a separate room, it could end the disappointment of the public,” said the director of the museum Laurence des Cars. According to her, the painting does not justice to his full potential in the present place.

“If we hung the Mona Lisa in a separate room, that could end the disappointment of the public. “

Laurence des cars

Director of the Louvre

“We’ve been thinking about moving the job for a long time,” says curator Vincent Delieuvin With Figaro. “And this time everyone finally agrees. It is a large room and the Mona Lisa used to hang behind 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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Major renovation

However, the move will not be easy, as a new entrance is required and two new spaces must be created in the basement. The Mona Lisa would then be in one of those two.

However, the move will not be easy, as a new entrance will be required

The renovation is expected to cost around 500 million euros, a high price for the French government. The Ministry of Culture is of course in favor, but cultural spending in France is also closely monitored. 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 expensive. “But it’s time to do it,” says Des Cars. “We need to embrace the image’s status as a global icon.”