IT is the most famous painting in the world, that under normal circumstances is visited by more than 10 million people a year. Now one lucky bidder will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Mona Lisa.
How so?
The chance to see Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece is one of a raft of “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences that have gone up for auction this week. The successful bidder will attend the annual examination of the Mona Lisa, which sees the artwork taken out of its case at the Louvre in Paris for inspection.
It's a “hot ticket”?
Seeing the painting usually involves battling crowds taking pictures on cameras and smartphones just to get a glimpse, so this offer “to be able to look straight into the eyes of the Mona Lisa and admire this iconic work from up close”, is proving to be a huge draw.
The allure of the painting endures?
Painted sometime between 1503 and 1509, it is known to be one of Da Vinci’s favourites. The identity of the woman has long been debated, but it is thought to be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine silk merchant, whose husband commissioned the work.
However?
A less likely theory is that the painting was in fact a self-portrait, with analysts noting similarities between it and a later self-portrait of Da Vinci. No matter, the questions over the subject’s identity - and her mysterious half-smile - have combined to make the Mona Lisa an object of lingering fascination.
It’s got a crack?
Experts remain concerned about a crack located at the top of the wooden panel the work is painted on, which has been there since at least the 18th century. And so, each year, the painting is taken down from the wall out of its glass case “for a fleeting moment” of examination.
It was once stolen?
In 2011, a former Louvre employee, believing the painting belonged in his Italian homeland, walked out of the gallery with the painting underneath his painter’s smock. He was caught two years later and the artwork safely returned.
When does the auction end?
Christie’s France, which is organising the online auction, expect the experience to sell for up to £30,000 when the hammer comes down on December 15 - the current highest bid is around £9000. Proceeds will be used to help offset losses due to the pandemic’s impact. Jean-Luc Martinez, president and director of the Louvre, said plans include the Louvre Museum Studio, a new space that will focus on artistic education. He added: ”This period of pandemic, which is hitting the most vulnerable in society first, makes this project even more necessary.”
Other auction items include?
Other experiences include a private tour of the museum with Martinez; a torchlight night tour of the museum and a private concert in the Caryatids Hall on the ground floor. Winning bidders will have a two-year window in which to witness the restoration.
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