TL Bartusch Indie Author of the Roth series

I thought it might be interesting to have a look at the paintings that share the Mona Lisa's gallery in the Louvre. So many images of the Salle des Etats are limited to  the Mona Lisa's glass cell on the end wall and ignore the other Renaissance paintings by Venetian artists or painters working in Venice in the 16th century that are hung in her purpose designed room. The purpose of this vast space is to shuffle about six million visitors past the Mona Lisa every year. Salle des Etats, Mona Lisa on far wall Let's look at the gallery first and get that out of the way. The plain walls and austere skylight, so different to the original domed glass is very dull indeed. Of course the Salle des Etats has a much more colourful past. It was the principal state room of Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, nephew and heir of Napoleon. Napoleon's second wife, (you remember the first was Josephine of not tonight darling & don't leave me Boney fame) Marie-Therese of Aust...