A few years ago, if you were visiting Paris for the first time, there were two things many tourists would try to fit in: one would be a trip to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, which never fails to astound first time views by just how small it is; and as visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. Or at least it was before the fire in 2019. With the cathedral’s restoration on track to be completed at the end of 2024, tourists will again be able to visit the medieval church.
With this in mind, the LEGO Group today revealed two new products to help bring the magic of Paris closer to home for builders. Fans can start building their very own art collection with the LEGO® Art Mona Lisa or choose to be captivated by the majestic LEGO® Architecture Notre-Dame de Paris set.
These two global icons of Paris have been unveiled to celebrate the rich heritage and history of the French capital, which has an exciting and packed year ahead and will be available for pre-order on 7th May.
LEGO Art Mona Lisa
Inspired by the world’s most recognisable painting, the LEGO Art Mona Lisa invites art and LEGO lovers to recreate Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece in 3D. This bold and unique interpretation comprises 1,503 LEGO elements and new colour hues to accurately reflect the colours used by da Vinci over 500 years ago, before the paint changed with age.
Additionally, the new LEGO masterpiece has been designed with a drum-lacquered gold, detachable frame so it can be hung on the wall and displayed along with other LEGO Art sets.
Milan Madge, Designer at the LEGO Group, said: “It has been such a pleasure to be part of bringing such a special piece of art history to life in LEGO form. The Mona Lisa is obviously world famous, but our familiarity with her can obscure what a groundbreaking work of art this painting is. A culmination of Da Vinci’s lifelong study of science and nature, the Mona Lisa is packed with stories and details that we thoroughly enjoyed researching and implementing. We’reexcited for LEGO fans and art lovers to explore more about this enigmatic artwork, and to have the opportunity to hang a piece of LEGO history on their walls.”
Art and LEGO fans can find their flow as they build along to The LEGO Art Podcast, which will accompany the set at launch on 1st October. Packed with fascinating content on the Mona Lisa’s timeless appeal, this episode is hosted by Jack Gardner Vaa, who invited three special guests: Dr. Francesca Borgo (Professor of Art History at the University of St Andrews), Jennifer Dasal (host of the ArtCurious Podcast) and Milan Madge (designer of the LEGO Art Mona Lisa).
31213 LEGO® Art Mona Lisa (1502 Pieces)
- RRP: $AUD169.99/99,99€ /USD99,99 $ / 89,99£
- Dimensions: Measures over 17 in. (43 cm) high, 11.5 in. (30 cm) wide
and 1.5 in. (4 cm) deep - Available: October 1, 2024, Preorder Now
LEGO Architecture Notre-Dame de Paris
Available on the 1st of June, the LEGO Architecture Notre-Dame de Paris makes for the perfect new addition to the home of any fan of travel, history and classic architecture. The building experience and instruction booklet takes the builder on a journey through the architectural evolution of this iconic Parisian landmark, beginning in 1163, when the first stone was laid, through architect Viollet-le-Duc’s redesign work in the 19th century to Notre-Dame’s majestic appearance before the fire of 2019.
The ability to remove the roof also allows admirers to peek inside the legendary building and admire details such as the rose windows, interior columns, gothic arches, the two towers and more.
Talking about the process behind the new set, Rok Žgalin Kobe, Designer at the LEGO Group, said: “In designing the LEGO® Architecture Notre-Dame de Paris, we tried to bring it to life by not only capturing its outward appearance, but the way and the stages in which the original was build. We wanted LEGO fans to retrace the architectural journey and evolution of this landmark during its construction, to encourage a deeper appreciation for its real-life counterpart.”
21061 LEGO® Architecture Notre-Dame de Paris (4384 pieces)
- Age: 18+
- RRP: $AUD349.99/229,99€/$USD229,99/£199,99 GBP
- Dimensions: Measures over 13 in. (33 cm) high, 8.5 in. (22 cm) wide and 16 in. (41 cm) deep
- Available: June 1, 2024, preorder now
The LEGO Art Mona Lisa and the LEGO Architecture Notre-Dame de Paris are both available for pre-order starting 7th of May, via LEGO Stores and www.lego.com.
Thoughts
These are both really interesting additions to the catalogue.
The Mona Lisa has always been an intriguing picture, and capturing it in a way that does not resemble pixel art is always going to be challenging. While some might think it could look a little more accurate, I am more interested in the collection of wedge plates and round tiles, in new colours that it contains, as well as the amazing number of gold elements incorporated into the frame. I can see it being quite popular as a parts pack.
As for the cathedral of Notre Dame, in more recent years, the LEGO Group have been keen to steer clear of buildings or models depicting aspects of religion. Indeed, when it comes to their online competitions, its up there with alcohol, drugs, modern warfare and realistic first person shooters as subject matter to steer clear of.
Of course, people will often mention sets 309/1309 from 1957/58. I don’t think we can say that these sets were in conflict with the brand values, as at the time the company was in the business of creating sets of things seen in everyday life.
Other precedents have previously appeared within the Creator Expert and Architecture lines. The Taj Mahal, while incorporating a mosque, is predominantly a mausoleum, and has been subject to three LEGO sets – (admittedly, one was a reissue 9 years after the original, but it remains more releases than most other architecturally focussed sets).
We have also previously seen the St Mark’s Basilica in the 21026 Venice Skyline from 2016.
Now, we can argue that these buildings are, to an extent, emblematic of their cities, and as such, transcend being considered only religious icons. Notre-Dame de Paris may be a church, but it is also a landmark, and Icon of Paris and indeed, a character intrinsic to classical French Literature.
I wonder if there will be a clearer explanation provided, or if architecture for Architecture’s sake is the main reason that this model went ahead. I mean, who wouldn’t want a model of one of the Parisian icons to build in the year that the Olympics is being hosted there?
I’d love to know your thoughts on these two sets. Are they for you? Or something to leave on the sidelines? Leave your comments below.
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Until Next Time,
Play Well!
I’ve seen words like “bold” and “unique” used to describe that Mona Lisa set, but one word I haven’t seen is “good.” The frame looks good, though. The Notre Dame set looks good, but I don’t collect that theme and might be a bit much for my daughter who does collect Architecture.
I find it intriguing, and think it has a great selection of parts.
BUT, if I like every set that comes out, they aren’t doing their job properly.