Updated by: April 24, 2026
The Mona Lisa Incident
I am a museum nerd, so my first visit to the Louvre was always going to be a significant moment — the thought of standing before some of the greatest artwork ever created is genuinely exciting…
On an unusually rainy June day, I made my way into the Denon wing to see da Vinci’s famous beauty.
The crowds are large and there’s a genuine gentle push to get within viewing distance. Worth knowing before you go — the Mona Lisa is a small painting. You need to be close.
A side note: the Wedding Feast at Cana by Veronese, hanging directly opposite, is one of the most striking things you’ll ever see — sheer size and beauty combined. But La Joconde, as the French call her, is the undisputed star of the room.
As I made my way to within three or four metres of the painting, I was suddenly struck by something. Not an epiphany. Not a moment of transcendence.
A fart. The smallest, most concentrated stench I have encountered in my life.
Someone in the Denon wing had let one go with devastating effect. The entire room stopped looking at the artwork and began looking at each other, searching for the culprit. The smell was so powerful that I — along with countless others — was forced to cut my time with the Mona Lisa short.
To this day, when I think of da Vinci’s masterpiece, I think of that smell.
Perhaps that explains her cheeky grin.
Paul Mercuri
Wake Up Here Founder
