Why can't people take flash pictures of the real mona lisa painting?

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because the light is bad for it. taking one flash picture of it wouldn't hurt it, but if everyone that went through the Louvre took a flash picture, it would fade over time.

GirlinParis

Hi my name is lenora and i live near the Louvre Museum ;-)))

It's the same thing in many museums all other the word : masterpieces like "LA JOCONDE" have to be protected ;-)))

jfg

the other people answered directly to your question. If you also want to know if it is true that flash is forbidden, I doubt it is . When I was young (I am 50 now), I remember it was forbidden to take any snapshot in Le Louvre. However two years ago, we were in Paris and went to Le Louvre ( in November 2004) a Wednesday evening ( this explains that there were almost nobody else and that we could not do like the others). My daughter asked politely to the guard if she could take a picture of the Mona Lisa ( Joconde) painting, and the guard replied that she could. I asked precisely about the flash, and the guard responded that it was no longer forbidden since a few years.
rgds
jfg

StatIdiot

The pigments in the paint are affected by light.

Art work should be stored in the correct conditions for it to last.

SomeoneUdunno

I think it has something to do with that specific type of light deteriorating or messing with the painting or something. You can't take flash pics of the Declaration of Independence for that same reason.

tcindie

Because the flash will fade the pigment in the paint.

gastMS

I went to visit Mona Lisa 1 week ago. It was still forbidden to take flah picture... Anyway. It was so crowded that you could take one. Without flash it's easyer...

And remember, your picture will be very bad. Rather buy a poster at shop.

wcnghj

it will fade the paint

jduck1979

My guess is to both prevent forgery + also the extra light from the flash buggers up the pigments in the painting.... like have you ever left a piece of paper with something on it in a window with direct sunlight for a length of time, and after a while it's faded?

songbird

The camera flash could damage the sensitive and old paint and further it's decay. They wouldn't let anyone take flash pictures of the Declaration of Independence or any other document at the National Archives in Washington D.C. because the papers were so old that the camera flash would damage the sensitive papers.

Kelli

I took a flash picture of the mona lisa. I don't believe they were stopping people but because the mona lisa is behind a thick glass wall it's not worth taking a flash picture.

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