- Ainslie Harvey arrived at the Louvre at 8.20am to capture the moment
A tourist has revealed the best way to get the perfect picture in front of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa without it being obscured by the crowds of visitors.
Around 7.5 million visitors flock to Paris to visit the Louvre ever year, meaning around 30,000 people a day are hoping to catch a glimpse of the 16th century painting.
Leanardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece is among the most iconic in the world because it displays the Italian artist’s talent for natural realism.
The famous illusion that her smile widens and eyes follow you around the room also make it one of the world’s most visited, thanks to its ability to emotionally engage onlookers.
Therefore, getting a good selfie with the Mona Lisa is sought-after but can prove difficult what with the huge crowds the painting attracts.
But history lover Ainslie Harvey has revealed how you skip the crowds and get that Instagram-worthy photo with the Mona Lisa.
Divulging the ultimate hack on her TikTok account @hothistory, Ms Harvey starts by recommending that visitors book ahead and during the first slot of the day, which is 9am, on either a Monday or Thursday.
She said: ‘Get up and go for a walk through the Tuileries and you are going to line up at the pyramid entrance at around 8.30. I got there 8.20 and I was first in line.’
The history buff then divulged once inside you must go down the escalators, which will bring you down to level zero, and make your way to the towering Greek sculpture of the goddess Niké – Winged Victory.
The history fanatic revealed: ‘It is so emotional at the top of the stairs, take a moment don’t rush through here, but you can always come back.’
From here you take a right, heading through the Square Lounge all the way into the Grand Gallery according to Ms Harvey.
A quarter of the way down into the Grand Gallery the Mona Lisa room will be to your right and there will be your opportunity to take a photo with Da Vinci’s masterful brush strokes.
The history whizz said: ‘Now I wasn’t the only person here taking this photo. There was about 10 people.’
But despite this, she described it as one of the ‘most pleasant museum interactions’ she has had.
‘Everybody was really kind, really patient, helped other people get their photos and altogether was really low stress,’ she told her followers.
But there is more to the Louvre, beyond the Mona Lisa’s soft sculptural face and and fixed gaze.
Just opposite The Mona Lisa perched upright in a ‘pozzetto’ armchair is the painting by Paolo Veronese, The Wedding Feast at Cana, which is among Ms Harvey’s favourites.
The larger than life painting adorned with a plethora of people in multi-coloured clothing depicts the biblical story of the Wedding at Cana.
During the Napoleonic era it was nabbed by the dynamite dictator and It sliced in half as it was too large to transport.
The history lover shared: ‘You can actually see the line when you go there.’
But her tips and tricks for the famous art museum didn’t begin and end with the Mona Lisa.
She also advised visitors do themselves and her ‘a favour’ by visiting both the Grand Gallery and the Red Rooms whilst at the Louvre.
Even if you are pressed for time you can ‘easily’ visit the two and the Mona Lisa in two hours, according to Ms Harvey – and it’s well worth it.
