Saving the Mona Lisa—new bullet-proof glass protects the world-famous painting

The famous Monas Lisa smile is now looking a tad clearer at The Louvre in Paris. That, because the museum has recently installed a new bullet-proof glass in order to protect one of the most important paintings in the world. The painting by Leonardo da Vinci first went behind a safety glass in the early 1950s after being vandalised by a visitor who poured acid on it.
Vincent Delieuvin, the chief curator of 16th-century Italian art at the Louvre said that glass technology has improved in recent years. It, at the same time, gives visitors a better viewing experience than before. With the new bullet-proof glass, the Mona Lisa is even more transparent than before, and seems closer than it did previously.


The timing for this new addition to the painting could not have been any better, as on October 24 this year, the museum will open an exhibition to celebrate the works of the great Leonardo da Vinci. This year marks the 500th anniversary of his death. At the exhibition, you can see 120 works of art, from paintings to drawings as well as sculptures. However, the exhibition will not feature the Mona Lisa, which will remain at its designated room in the museum.
Mona Lisa, which is perhaps the most recognisable painting in the world is the painting of Francesco del Gioconda’s wife. This is why the Mona Lisa is also known as La Gioconda. It was stolen from the Louvre on a Monday morning in 1911 in a stunning art heist, and no one realised that it went missing until Tuesday afternoon.