This past Summer, I was fortunate enough to travel to Paris, France with my girlfriend Magnolia. As soon as we landed at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport, we knew that to truly enjoy the city, we needed to take advantage of every minute we had in the City of Lights. During our ultimate three-day stay in Paris, we made sure to cover all the necessities, visiting the MusĆ©e d’Orsay, SacrĆ©-CÅur, Eiffel Tower, Sainte-Chapelle, Notre Dame, Pantheon, Louvre, and ChĆ¢teau de Versailles.
Often regarded as one of the best – if not the best – art museums in the world, The Louvre is home to more than thirty thousand pieces of art, with works by prestigious artists like Raphael, Botticelli, and Rembrandt just to name a few. However, the crowning jewel of The Louvre, as we all know, is Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. With more than 9.6 million travelers touring the museum annually, the Mona Lisa has earned the title of the most visited painting in the world.
For anyone reading this that has actually visited The Louvre, it is easy to recall the frantic atmosphere of the tourists desperately maneuvering their way through the crowds to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa, whose name lingers in every corridor of the museum. Upon arrival in the Salle des Ćtats, home of Da Vinci’s masterpiece, one first notices the flood of people in line.
The second I caught a glimpse of the Mona Lisa, I found it difficult to take my eyes off her. People had always told me how remarkable Da Vinci’s painting was, but it was not until my eyes locked on the canvas that I grasped how prodigious this piece is. While others nearby reached for their phones and cameras in hopes of snapping a picture, Magnolia and I were mesmerized, too starstruck to comment, standing in silence as we allowed Da Vinci to do all the speaking necessary. Our mindless admiration, however, could not withstand the frantic nature of our fellow tourists behind us, with our astonishment interrupted by a pair of Americans who requested that we hurry up and get out of the way so that they could take their picture in front of the painting.
“While others nearby reached for their phones and cameras in hopes of snapping a picture, Magnolia and I were mesmerized, too starstruck to comment, standing in silence as we allowed Da Vinci to do all the speaking necessary.”
Initially, Magnolia and I were frustrated with the impatience of this couple, which ultimately interrupted the spiritual moment we were having with the Mona Lisa. However, after further deliberation, I came to the realization that the real disrespect was not targeted at us, but rather at Da Vinci, whose masterpiece was belittled the second that the tourists observed the painting with their cameras rather than with their eyes. There was never an intention to admire or appreciate Da Vinci and his crowned jewel. Instead, it seemed as if the sole aim of this couple was to snap a picture of the Mona Lisa and carry on as if they had not just witnessed one of the greatest pieces of art ever known to mankind.
There is no greater travesty in art than to fail to appreciate the genius behind the works in front of one’s face. Later on, as our summer travels extended beyond Paris to Florence, Venice, and other art-rich European cities, I could not help but notice that this ignorance was much more prevalent than I ever imagined. Standing in front of Michelangelo’s David, Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, or EugĆØne Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, it felt as if nobody could simply live in the moment and enjoy the beauty of what was right in front of them.
My goal here is not to pretend as if I am some art connoisseur who has never snapped a picture of a painting. As a matter of fact, I too took a picture on my phone of the Mona Lisa, David, Birth of Venus, and more. My point is that I did not allow the picture to validate my experiences with the art I encountered because I ensured to take the time to stand and observe the beautiful strokes, vibrant colors, and illusions created by the geniuses whose works give us such profound images to adore.
Art does more than just serve as a subject for pictures. Art speaks to us, allowing the masterminds behind it to spark conversations, introduce us to new forms of beauty, make social statements, and challenge our pre-existing beliefs. Months later, I still think back to my time in the Louvre and some of the works that left me starstruck. Having had the privilege of visiting some of the most prominent museums in the world, I hope that others can take the time and forget about the cameras and just relish the sheer brilliance at hand.
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