I laughed when I saw the author of the New York Times article describe the outside line as “TSA style” because when I went to Paris this summer and saw the Louvre, that’s exactly what it looked like. I didn’t go inside because I wanted nothing to do with that enormous line and I had other things I wanted to see, however recalling that moment makes me agree with the author of the NYT article. If 80% of that line was just there to see the Mona Lisa, then that was really sad. Museums are meant to show more than one thing and if everyone’s flocking around only one painting it’s going to get extremely annoying. Of course people are leaving there unsatisfied; it’s like going shopping on Black Friday but all you’re getting is a not so good picture of an image that’s not much bigger than a letter sized sheet of paper. I think it’s necessary for the Louvre to put the Mona Lisa somewhere else. While I do understand it’s importance in art history, I don’t think its right for the art to monopolize the attention of visitors when there are so many other grand works of art in the same building. If people are going there out of obligation as opposed to understanding and appreciation, then you’ve missed the point of the art in general.
