Landmark/Attraction: The Mona Lisa Location: The Louvre Designer/Artist: Leonardo Da Vinci Completed: 1517 To be honest, there is no way The Mona Lisa could live up to its hype. It's the single most famous painting in the entire world, and most people have seen endless parodies and copies of both it and its smile before seeing the actual thing. But even with all that, a visit to The Mona Lisa is an underwhelming experience. First, it's small only 30 inches by 21 inches, which catches a lot of people off guard. And second, it's always mobbed by a massive crowd of noisy people, which means that any meditative appreciation of the painting is impossible. Our advice? Make sure you explore the rest of The Louvre. There are so many other beautiful paintings that you don't need to jockey for position to see. Have you visited a famous landmark and had an unexpected reaction? Let us know in the comments!
Kevin is an AP English Language teacher and freelance writer from Queens, NY. His focus is on American pop culture and American issues. He wrote a weekly column for Complex called "Throwback Thursdays," which spotlighted video games and trends from previous console generations. Kevin has also been published in VIBE, Salon, PopMatters, Joystiq, and Racialicious. Follow him on Twitter to learn more.
