To think the Mona Lisa isn’t the Mona Lisa?

[TigersRoll]

Just watching Notre Dame burn down (heartbreaking) but it got me thinking about a theory DH and I had ... that the Mona Lisa is so priceless it’s probably in a secure place somewhere protected whilst the one we see in the Louvre is a “public copy”. I mean, we saw the painting at the Louvre and yeah it has a barrier around it and protective glass but imagine if a huge fire broke out in the Louvre, could they really risk it?

And yes I know there are other priceless paintings in there and they can’t all be copies but The Mona Lisa?

(Kind of light hearted, no need for anyone to get seriously offended here as tends to happen on mumsnet these says)

Interesting theory. It's not the most interesting painting in the room it is in.

I am quite certain that the Louvre contains greater security and protective measures for its highest value pieces than just what our eyes can see in the museum. I bet the measures put in place in case of fire are more extensive than that bit of glass!

I watched a program a while back about leonardo di Vinci, the painting is probably his male lover, not actually a woman.

I think it may be a fake. Most real ones are in vaults.

Well, a huge fire could also break out in any alternative "secure location".

Apparently it's quite common to do with priceless pieces. Especially when on loan.

It’s possible. For absolutely ages the millennium star diamond on display in the millennium dome wasn’t actually the millennium star, because security got wind of a plot to steal it and switched it out. The public obviously didn’t know they weren’t looking at the real thing!

that the Mona Lisa is so priceless it’s probably in a secure place somewhere protected whilst the one we see in the Louvre is a “public copy”.

Yes, if you look at it closely, you can see the numbers showing thru the paint.

I actually painted the Louvre one, the real one is in my shed

I don't think it is a fake. It is really special if you see it live.

I think I read somewhere that they have several ‘fake’ Mona Lisas that they switch around in the Louvre to stop the real one being damaged by the light and so experts can do tests on it etc.

Do you remember the millennium done diamond? The biggest in the world, people marvelled both at the diamond and later on at its fake replica after they got wind of the planned theft!