I was strolling through the Louvre, taking my time to admire the collection of some of the worlds most magnificent masterpieces. I was admiring the largest piece in the Louvre,  Paolo Veronese’s magnificent ‘The Wedding at Cana’, when I turned and set eyes on one of the worlds most famous masterpieces ridiculous crowd of tourists. I had made it to the woman herself: the Mona Lisa.

I couldn’t resist. I took a selfie. The mosh pit of savage photo-taking tourists had a manic effect on me. I was determined to get that ridiculous photo of ‘Me and Mona’. But why? I am still trying to work that out myself…

I took a selfie with the Mona Lisa because it’s the most famous masterpiece in the world. I was overwhelmed by the excitement and didn’t know how to appropriately react.

I took a selfie with the Mona Lisa because it is kept at such a physical distance, behind glass, surrounded by crowds, and is so resistant to being really seen precisely because it’s so famously familiar. Without the ability to ‘admire’ it, what else are you supposed to do in its presence?

I took a selfie with the Mona Lisa because the Louvre has no photography restrictions. They are pretty much begging you to not appreciate the masterpiece at all. They want you to skim past the piece with a push through the crowd and a snap of your camera and get on your way.

I took a selfie with the Mona Lisa because what’s the point of ticking off a visit to a beautiful work of art unless you can tell the world about it?

I took a selfie with the Mona Lisa because her portrait basically a selfie, isn’t it? A selfie with a cool Instagram filter. Probably ‘Brannan’.

I took a selfie with the Mona Lisa because I am apart of the ‘selfie’ generation and I have succumbed to the 21st century selfie-cult. People no longer take photos to say “I have seen it”, people take photos to say “I was here”, the ‘selfie’ represents the vanity of our generation, and we are more preoccupied with their own facial expression than the one of the mysterious woman herself.

I took a selfie with the Mona Lisa because Eminem did it, and P Diddy did it, and I am strongly influenced by successful rappers.

#MonaLisaSelfie