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Luxury Auction Offers the Chance to Spend Some Personal Time With the ‘Mona Lisa’

News Museums Art + Architecture
by Eben Diskin Dec 1, 2020

Anyone who’s been to the Louvre knows how tough it is to actually see the Mona Lisa up close. The large crowds and relatively small size of the painting makes it almost impossible to get a good look at the famous work. Luckily for art lovers, there’s now a way to admire the iconic 16th-century painting up close.

Christie’s is holding a Bid for the Louvre auction in which one of the prizes will allow one person to look straight in the eyes of the enigmatic figure while the artwork is taken down from the wall and removed from its glass case.

The “Mona Lisa” is taken down and inspected yearly by experts to assess its condition, but usually no member of the public gets to attend this unique event. The bids for this particular experience start at $7,400.

Other experiences being auctioned include a private tour of the Louvre with president and museum director Jean-Luc Martine, a torchlight night tour of the museum, and a private concert in Caryatids Hall.

The auction’s proceeds will go toward making the museum more accessible, including the creation of a new space focusing on artistic and cultural education.

The online auction starts today and ends on December 15. Winners will have two years to use their experiences.

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