I recently visited the Louvre in Paris and began my tour in the Denon Wing. Ascending the wide steps that lead to the Niké of Samothrace, I took a right turn and made my way to the hall that features Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. She was surrounded by a mob of people, phones held high to capture the painting – she seemed amused.
Close by, and bereft of onlookers, hung a painting by Andrea Solario called The Madonna of the Green Cushion. At first sight, it is a beautiful portrait of Mary breastfeeding Jesus; the eyes are drawn to the shared gaze of mother and child. This is not a casual glance. Mary and Jesus are peering deeply into the centre of each other’s person – right into each other’s heart.
