Mona Lisa could be moved to a separate underground room

The Mona Lisa could be given a new dedicated room in the museum’s attempt to improve the "world’s most disappointing" viewing experience of its main attraction.

Leonardo da Vinci’s famous portrait of a mysteriously smiling woman is the main attraction of the Louvre and helps it become the most visited museum in the world. But a recent survey found tourists were less than enthusiastic about the spectacle, with comments ranging from "never been so disappointed" to "torture."

The 1503 portrait is displayed behind bulletproof glass in the center of the Hall of States. The temperature and humidity inside the case are strictly controlled to ensure that the painting does not deteriorate. In 2019, the protective coating was enhanced with anti-reflective technology to enhance the visitor viewing experience.

"Looks like a postage stamp"

Laurence de Cars, director of the Louvre, proposed moving the masterpiece to a special room equipped in the basement of the museum. “We’re not doing a good job of welcoming visitors in the current room, so we feel like we’re not doing our job,” she told employees and managers. “Moving the Mona Lisa to a separate room could end the public’s disappointment.” Vincent Deleuvin, chief curator of 16th-century Italian painting at the Louvre, agrees. “It’s a big room and the Mona Lisa is in the back, behind protective glass, so at first glance it looks like a postage stamp,” he said. This goes against the artist’s original intention, he added: "Leonardo da Vinci wanted to establish a face-to-face relationship between the painting and the person viewing it."

Museum officials say the painting attracts 80 percent of its nine million annual visitors. On some days, 25,000 people queue to catch a glimpse of it; most visitors will only see it from afar. Since viewers only get to admire the painting for an average of 50 seconds, tourists call it "the world’s most disappointing masterpiece."

Is it worth paying 22 euros for entry?

In a survey conducted by CouponBirds last month in Le Parisien newspaper, the Mona Lisa was voted the most disappointing work among 100 masterpieces exhibited around the planet, receiving 37 percent of "negative reviews."

“Measuring just 50x75cm, this painted wooden panel has powerfully captured the public’s imagination – and five centuries later, noblewoman Lisa del Giocondo may have become the oldest woman to have her own letterbox for love letters and flowers. But is it worth paying 22 euros for entry – and jostling among a crowd of strangers – for a glimpse?” – the article asks.

Various attempts have been made to improve the viewing experience, most notably in 2019, the walls of the State Hall were repainted from yellow to midnight blue and the queuing system was streamlined. But even more effort is required given that “the Mona Lisa’s fame, which began after its theft in 1911, is growing exponentially thanks to mass tourism and social media,” Mr. Delieuvin says. “Nowadays, you need to see something at least once in your life that everyone is talking about, and the Mona Lisa is undoubtedly one of those “must see” objects.”

Worries about possible costs

The new hall will be part of a large-scale renovation of the museum, called the "Grand Louvre", which will open a new entrance to the colonnade opposite the Church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois.

The idea would allow six million visitors virtually direct access to two new spaces beneath the Louvre’s Cour Carré - one for temporary exhibitions and the other for the Mona Lisa.

The vacated Hall of States will restore integrity to the collection of Venetian works, in particular Veronese’s The Wedding at Cana , which hangs next to the Mona Lisa and is often obscured by selfie sticks.

However, one more important issue remains - financing. The overhaul budget is estimated at 500 million euros, according to Le Figaro, at a time when President Emmanuel Macron’s government is desperate to rein in public spending after worsening debt and deficit forecasts.

Bruno Le Maire, the finance minister, has already said he hopes to save 25 billion euros in the 2025 budget and called on the cultural sector to do its bit.

In January, environmental activists threw pumpkin soup at the Mona Lisa, calling for the right to "healthy and sustainable food", splattering the painting.