Mona Lisa in Japan
What does it take to winkle the Mona Lisa out of the Louvre in Paris?
Presidents and Prime Ministers.
Following an official visit to Paris by President Kennedy, General de Gaulle, President of France, despite furious opposition from the Louvre, despite his loathing of America, agreed to send it to The White House on loan.
Ten years later, in 1973, during Kakuei Tanaka’s official visit to Paris, the first by a Japanese prime minister since 1962, Georges Pompidou, President of France, despite conservators in the Louvre reporting a crack in the wood panel on the back of the delicate five hundred year old masterpiece, agreed to send it to Tokyo on loan.
Kakuei Tanaka was in Paris to offer huge financial contributions to France for the promotion of Japanese studies. It was of great significance from the point of cultural inter-change that Pompidou agreed to lend the Mona Lisa to Japan.
Did the gods who look after rare works of art take revenge? Pompidou died two weeks before Mona Lisa left Paris. Tanaka, involved in financial scandals, resigned five months after she left Japan. *
On 16 April 1974, Mona Lisa was loaded on to flight Air France 1626, code name, Operation Jules, to her exhibition in Tokyo due to open four days later on the 20th. With her on a Boeing 707 were conservators from the Louvre and the flight crew. Some seats were removed to make room for Mona Lisa’s air-conditioned container.
The plane almost did not leave. Orly airport was on strike. The opening of the new Charles-de-Gaulle airport meant staff redundancies.
At Haneda airport, Tokyo, Mona Lisa received the official welcome normally given to a head of state. Her famous smile was in every shop window in every street. There were posters of her everywhere.
Between 20 April and 10 June 1974, 1.5 million shuffled to see the world’s most famous portrait in Tokyo National Museum. Viewers were allocated ten seconds in front of the painting.
To cope with the crush, the Museum refused access to anyone who needed assistance. A very angry crowd demonstrated outside accusing it of discriminating against the disabled.
Despite tightened security, on the first day of opening, Tomoko Yonezu, a young disabled Japanese woman sprayed red paint on the glass protecting Mona Lisa in protest.
On the day she appeared in Court, Disability Rights and Women’s Rights activists protested outside. In the end Tomoko Yonezu San was convicted of a misdemeanour and fined. Following the Case, the Museum set aside days when the disabled could exclusively visit the Mona Lisa.
After a beyond all expectations record for any exhibition in Japan, one that has yet to be broken, was Mona Lisa on her way home?
No. She was on her way again. Destination Moscow.
*Five months after the historic Exhibition closed, Kakuei Tanaka, the most popular Prime Minister Japan ever had, the man who made it happen, resigned. He had used a geisha’s name on illegal land deals in Tokyo. Rather than put her through the stress of taking the witness stand against him in a public enquiry he offered his resignation 26 November 1974. Plus. The Lockheed Corporation told the US Senate that during his term as prime minister Tanaka had accepted $1.8 million in bribes in return for Nippon Airways buying twenty-one Lockheed L-1011 aircraft.
Post by Pamela (BA History of Art). Photography by Mark.
Leonardo da Vinci
The Amboise Connection
