Writing in the New Criterion, Eric Gibson describes a visit to Room 6 of the Louvre’s Denon Wing, home of the Mona Lisa:
It’s no secret that its outsized fame has always made seeing La Gioconda a challenge. There is always a crowd, a thick band of people in front of it straining to catch a glimpse or snap a picture. And the painting itself, smallish to begin with, is kept at a safe distance for security reasons. This time there were few SLRs in evidence; almost everyone had a smartphone or tablet. Indeed, I’d never seen so many in one place. Many were being held aloft for an unobstructed shot of Leonardo’s painting. But there was one new feature to the usual Mona Lisa frenzy: the remarkable sight of visitors turning their backs on the painting they had traveled such a long way to see to have their portraits taken with it.
This was written four years ago. An eternity, apparently, because Gibson felt the need to define “selfie” for his readers.
Last Sunday, the Guardian reported that “[a]n exhibition at Saatchi gallery plans to explore the importance of selfies as an art form.” For reals. Read Andrew Doyle’s brilliant takedown over at spiked.
