And of course, there’s is the Mona Lisa. It might be because of Dan Brown, but these days the small iconic painting is heavily guarded, while all other masterpieces just hang freely. But it is a special painting, although it’s virtually impossible to drown in her mysterious smile with all the crowds. I was fortunate enough to see it in 1995 without so much fuss. In 2003, she was behind bulletproof glass, and on my visit last month, she was also flanked by 4 guards.
Mona Lisa or “Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondoco del Gioconda”. If she had kept this title it might not be so famous. What I like the most is the blue hills in the background. You can see them on many other of his paintings like “Virgin and child with Anne, where you’ll have the painting to yourself. Go as close as you can and just look at her – and not through a photo lens.