So, France is now charging non-Europeans a $10 tax to see the Mona Lisa. Cool. Very
welcoming. Nothing like putting a price tag on hype and packaging it as culture.
Let’s say what we’re all thinking but too polite to admit: Mona Lisa ain’t all that.
Sure, it’s historic. It’s Leonardo da Vinci. We get it. But strip away the centuries of lore, the
Louvre’s velvet ropes, the camera flashes, the whispers of mystery, and what are we really left
with? A small, muted portrait of a woman with no eyebrows, smirking slightly in sepia tones.
There’s no color story, no deep emotional impact, and no transcendental force. It’s… fine.
People don’t flock to it because it’s mind-blowing. They flock to it because they’re told it’s
important. A tale that’s half fact, half fiction has spun it into legend. Now, everyone wants the
picture, the proof, the bragging rights. “Look, I was there.” But were you?
Most visitors don’t even glance at the other works in the same gallery. They crowd in for the
Mona Lisa, missing the masterpieces that whisper, roar, and ache. They don’t look; they scroll.
They don’t feel; they perform. And now, those who genuinely care, art lovers and artists
themselves, travelers seeking something genuine, are punished. Another gate is built, another
layer of spectacle.
Museums are among the last true sanctuaries for artists and those seeking to be moved by
something deeper than algorithmic trends. However, when art becomes a sideshow or a selfie
destination, it’s not just frustrating; it’s also offensive. For many of us, art is a sacred space. A
necessary space. A mirror, a teacher, a portal. Now, it’s being degraded by superficiality
disguised as appreciation.
This isn’t about the painting. This is about what we value.
Why do we allow hype to dictate our curiosity? Why do we follow the crowd into hollow
experiences, to claim we’ve had them? Art deserves more. We deserve more.
We should encourage exploration, not monetize conformity. We should elevate the under-
recognized works that quietly gut you in the corner of a gallery. The kind of art that doesn’t
scream for attention but still finds you. It still shakes something loose.
So yes, the Mona Lisa exists. And sure, go see it if you want. But let’s stop pretending it’s the
pinnacle of all things artistic. Let’s stop punishing genuine connection with arbitrary access fees
and superficial spectacle. Let’s make room for truth, for complexity, for works that don’t need a
myth to be significant.
If you’re seeking something more, good. You’re in the right place because we care.
But as for the rest? I mean… who cares.
