10 Creepy Things to See at the Louvre That Are Better Than the Mona Lisa

I went to the Louvre on Wednesday, and as every tourist does, I did the rounds. i.e., the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. I have to say, all the hubbub over these two items left me scratching my head. To get to the Mona Lisa, you have to go into the Italian Painting section, pass by a few Botticelli’s, Giotto, Cimabue, and some of Leonardo’s better work (in my opinion) like St. John the Baptist. People just blast by these incredible pieces of art as if they were post it notes just to cram into a room to see a painting of a rather plain, barely smiling girl. It boggles my mind. I have been to the Louvre before, when I was in university years ago, in a galaxy far, far away. I thought maybe I hadn’t given it a fair shake in my early 20s, so I’d diligently try again and attempt to see what others see in these two items. And…nothing. I was rather unimpressed. It was impossible to get a close look at the Mona Lisa and when I finally did, she just didn’t do it for me. Same with the Venus de Milo. It was in a room full of incredible sculptures and I thought, “Why all the flap about this armless wonder?” If you’re an ancient historian, a medievalist, or early modernist, there are so many other amazing pieces and works of art a the Louvre other than these two tourist staples. Here is my list of cool, creepy, unusual and better than the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris.