 "Visitors take photographs from their mobile phone of Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the Mona Lisa, at the Louvre museum, Monday, January 27, 2025. AP")
The wait time for people wishing to see the finest painting in the world is likely to be significantly reduced.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that the “Mona Lisa” will be moved to a new exhibition space at the Louvre in Paris.
This development is part of a plan to renovate the world’s most visited museum.
The ‘Mona Lisa’ painting to be moved
President Macron announced that the Mona Lisa will have its own special space within the Louvre Museum as part of a significant renovation and expansion project that may take as long as 10 years.
According to him, the extension will make it possible to relocate the Mona Lisa to a new, special room that visitors can enter with a special ticket.
In a speech from the room where Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece is on display, he stated that this will simplify the visit for those who wish to view the picture and ease the experience of other visitors in the rest of the museum.
“Conditions of display, explanation and presentation will be up to what the ‘Mona Lisa’ deserves,” he said.
In the museum’s largest chamber, Leonardo’s masterpiece is currently on display behind protective glass. The area is packed with lengthy, noisy lines of people who are eager to take selfies with the iconic image of the woman with an enigmatic smile.
As a result, many people overlook other paintings in the room that are by Venetian artists like Titian and Veronese.
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Infrastructure, overcrowding and other issues
The announcement comes after Louvre Director Laurence des Cars wrote to Culture Minister Rachida Dati earlier this month to voice her concerns about the museum’s “obsolescence.”
She issued a warning about the building’s slow deterioration due to overcrowding, deteriorating infrastructure, and other problems “endangering the preservation of artworks,” according to the document originally published by the French newspaper Le Parisien.
Unveiled in 1989 as part of the late President François Mitterrand’s initiative, the pyramid that stands at the entrance to the museum today looks outdated.
The spot is not adequately protected from the cold and heat, and it tends to make noise more loud, which makes it uncomfortable for both visitors and staff members, according to des Cars.
Additionally, she noted, that the museum lacks adequate restrooms and food options.
The museum’s major renovation in the 1980s was planned to accommodate four million visitors a year.
However, the number has increased in the recent years, with the museum receiving 8.7 million visitors last year.
More than 75 per cent of them were foreigners, mostly from the United States, China, and neighbouring Italy, the UK, Germany, and Spain.
She also said that “in the view of everyone, the presentation of the Mona Lisa… is something that needs to be looked at.”
Leonardo da Vinci’s painting is seen by about three-quarters of the museum’s 30,000 daily visitors, but the experience has turned into an endurance test, with a steady stream of people being pushed through the Salle des Etats for an average of 50 seconds to view and take pictures of the artwork.
“The public… has no way of comprehending the artist’s work, which raises questions over our whole mission of public service,” des Cars said in her letter.
Also read: The Louvre has a ‘Mona Lisa problem’. Here’s what the museum is doing about it
The big renovation
The renovation project, branded “Louvre New Renaissance,” will be completed by 2031.
In the upcoming months, there will be a design competition, he stated. The museum will also be expanded with the creation of a few more basement rooms.
New underground exhibition spaces beneath the Cour Carré will be immediately accessible from the museum’s new entrance along the Seine, which will connect to the area beneath the pyramid.
Macron stated that the largest upgrade to the museum will be part of the city’s plans to develop a “green” area on the esplanade that is lined with trees.
He claimed that it would “give it back to the Parisians” and aid in the museum’s integration into the city.
According to a top French official, the estimated cost of the renovations over the decade to come is 700–800 million euros ($730–834 million), of which half will go toward building the new entrance.
According to Macron, the renovation will be paid for entirely by contributions, ticket sales, and the museum’s sponsorship agreement with the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
For those who are unaware, the French government pays for half of the Louvre’s expenses, including the salaries of its 2,200 staff.
The other half is provided by private funds including ticket sales, earnings from restaurants, shops and bookings for special events, as well as patrons and other partners.
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Changes in tariffs
Macron announced that the cost of tickets for non-EU foreign visitors would increase from the current 22 euros ($23).
He promised to make the museum safer and more comfortable for staff and visitors alike.
Comparing the project to Notre Dame’s recent reopening, Macron said that “the redesigned Louvre, restored and expanded, will become the epicentre of art history for our country and beyond."
With inputs from The Associated Press