Inn of the Wandering Dragon

Of course I could not possibly go to Paris without going to the Louvre and visiting the Mona Lisa. Jinx is somewhat astounded by the crowds here so we had to take a picture of the frenzy. But if you are patient and with some gentle elbow nudging you can get right up to the front for a good look.
In reality it is a very beautiful painting. I could spend a long time taking in the gentle gradations of the sfumato technique that Leonardo developed. There is a richness to the colours still that doesn't quite make it into most reproductions. Her gentle smile seems to take in the crowd with amusement. Add this to the fact that it is one of only a handful of paintings by Leonardo to have survived to this day and you can see why the art historians have made such a fuss over her. As to why everyone else is fussing over her though and the story changes a bit. I think my most memorable moment is when I saw over eager parents hand massive expensive cameras to their young children (who are having issues just holding the silly thing straight) and send them under the barricade. Take the picture - they urge on the youngsters. The kids themselves are looking a little bewildered. One little boy looks back to ask, why? The parents are now getting impatient, there are still more signature pieces to find and capture on film. "It is a very important painting now hurry up and take the picture!"
So my question is, do they actually look at the painting? Or are they just measuring the success of their trip by how many famous / iconic things they can stand beside?