Over 20,000 people visit the Louvre each day just to take a look at probably the world’s best-known painting – Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Yet, the experience may not be as pleasant as you imagine since the painting is kept in bullet-proof glass and 10 feet away from visitors.

Due to its fragility, the original Mona Lisa will not be included in exhibition display room in the Louvre’s upcoming blockbuster Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition. The museum decides to bring Mona Lisa to life by presenting its first virtual reality experience to commemorates the 500th anniversary of da Vinci’s death in France.

The project, entitled Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass, will be on view concurrently with the da Vinci exhibition from 24 October 2019 to 24 February 2020. It will also be available for download through VIVEPORT and other online platforms, for audiences across the globe, offering visitors and art lovers the rare chance to be immersed into the world’s most iconic painting.

However, it remains uncertain whether Salvator Mundi, the world’s most expensive artwork that was sold for US$450m at Christie’s New York in 2017 will be included in the anniversary show. According to the spokesman of the Louvre, the museum has requested it on loan from its new owner and is still waiting for an answer from the owner.

It is said that the owner of the painting, widely speculated to be Saudi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was put off by the museum’s experts who have attributed the work to Da Vinci’s workshop, which would massively decrease the value of the painting.The painting has not been seen in public since its last appearance at the saleroom and is reportedly being kept on crown prince’s superyacht (read more details on US$450m Salvator Mundi Reported to Be Kept on Saudi Prince’s Superyacht).

The Saint John the Baptist

La Belle Ferronnière

The exhibition will gather five core da Vinci works in its collections: The Virgin of the Rocks, La Belle Ferronnière, the Mona Lisa (which will remain in the gallery where it is normally displayed), the Saint John the Baptist, and the Saint Anne.

Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass
Venue: The Musée du louvre
Period: 24 October 2019 - 24 Februrary 2020

Leonardo da Vinci Exhibition
Venue: Hall Napoléon, under the Pyramid
Period: 24 October 2019 - 24 Februrary 2020
Reservation required