There is only one person looking at the painting.

I saw Mona Lisa today. She is the only work of art in the Louvre that has a sign with an arrow in every doorway. I expected her to be small so her medium sized frame was not disappointing. When I rounded the corner from the grand hall of Italian paintings and beheld her encircled by all nationalities holding cameras, phones, and ipads to her face, I nearly cried. 

I’ve never been a huge fan of Mona Lisa. She’s always gotten more publicity than I thought she deserved. However, when I saw her there surrounded by people who only seemed to look at her through their screens, I was overcome by the horrible beauty of the scene and I felt pity for her and for the fools around her.

***Disclaimer: as I continued my observations of Mona Lisa and her visitors, I realized many people took time to look and to return her gracious, acknowledging eyes with smiles of thankful appreciation.