A Million Visitors for Leonardo: The Louvre's Record Show

To mark 500 years since Leonardo da Vinci died in France, the Louvre assembled the largest gathering of his work ever attempted. The 2019 blockbuster drew more than 1.07 million visitors — a Louvre record.

It united autograph paintings borrowed from around the world with the museum's own Leonardos, alongside drawings and studies that revealed the restless mind behind them. Tellingly, the Mona Lisa stayed in her usual room, lest she swallow the show whole.

Tickets had to be booked in advance, taming the usual crush. For four months, Paris — not Florence — was the world capital of Leonardo.

Image: “Leonardo Da Vinci - Vergine delle Rocce (Louvre)” — Leonardo da Vinci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.