MONA LISA SUPERSTAR • LOUVRE PARIS

she peers out from behind bullet proof glass, wry smile at the onlookers. adoring fans. people shooting low-resolution snaps of an icon. like a throng at an airport documenting the arrival of a movie star. crowd barriers. elbow to elbow.

a scrum ten ppl deep. canon sony olympus flashes going off. two bored guards looking on. an audience with the smile, protected behind glass and layers of art history. she must get tired at the end of the day. strobing flashes in the face. child on dad’s shoulders getting a glimpse.

at first i was star-struck. i refused to walk around the wall and see this image. how do i know it really exists? the reproduction is so much more palatable.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Hse0L6iEqa8