The Mona Lisa is widely recognized as the most
famous painting in the history of art. In 2003,
the 500th anniversary of the painting, she will occupy
her own room at the Louvre. She has aroused curiosity
and suspicion, admiration and duplication. Whether you're a
casual observer or a Mona Lisa Maniac, you'll enjoy
witnessing her allure, you might even fall under her spell.
As art critic, Allessandro Vezzosi puts it, Her
legendary indirect gaze provokes a reaction known
as the Mona Lisa Syndrome: the viewer is enchanted
by her smile, which becomes increasingly enigmatic and
indefinable, transforming the painting as a whole into
a mysterious mirror. Welcome to Mona Lisa Mania.