Mona Lisa May Leave Louvre for 1st Time in 44 Years

The world’s most famous painting has not stepped outside the Louvre since 1974. However, Mona Lisa might be packing her bags. Leonardo da Vinci‘s masterwork could leave the Louvre for the first time in 44 years, French Culture Minister Francoise Nyssen suggested on March 1. Speaking to radio station Europe 1, the minister said she was “seriously considering” including the world’s most famous painting in a traveling exhibition of France’s masterpieces and has held talks with the president of the Louvre in Paris to discuss the idea, Artnet.com wrote. The Mona Lisa has been something of a homebody the last four decades. The last time the iconic portrait went on loan was in 1974 when it went on view in Tokyo and Moscow. Prior to that, Leonardo’s masterpiece traveled to Washington and New York in 1963 and was removed for safekeeping during World War II. According to the Guardian, France’s current liberal government’s culture policy under Nyssen has taken a markedly different position.  Despite the inherent risk of damage and the substantial cost associated with transporting priceless artworks, Nyssen disagrees with keeping France’s national treasures in one place. Instead, she believes in sharing France’s cultural heritage.  “My priority is to work against cultural segregation and a large-scale plan for moving [the works] around is a main way of doing that,” Nyssen said. It was not immediately clear whether the Mona Lisa would travel outside of France’s borders. But Sylvain Robert, mayor of the Northern French city of Lens, wasted no time in launching a campaign to host the painting at Louvre-Lens, an offshoot of the Paris museum.