The reason no one smiles in old paintings

For many, the museum presents a foreboding experience, a sacred temple that is uninviting to those unwilling to embrace the solemnity that viewing "great art" requires. Perhaps it's not the classical columns or imposing marble staircases that create an aura of pompous seriousness. Walking down those grand halls among hundreds of years of masterpieces, there's rarely a face smiling out at you.

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