The Mona Lisa of the Arts District by graffiti artist Thomas Burns is located at Traction Avenue and Rose Street in DTLA. 

Photo LA Times

Though it may be impolite and completely un-pc to say this, the truth is she’s a bit old having been gracing the side of this building since Burns was commissioned to do the mural on behalf of a production company filming a soft drink commercial in May 2008. Six years later the paint has begun to peel and her age is beginning to show.

By the end of 2013 taggers and bombers had taken to laying down another coat of paint and throwing-up wheatpaste posters making it difficult to discern that once upon a time the grand dame was sporting a Dali-esque mustache. (Image right)

At the start of the year, the Downtown Muse posted this prognostication about the fair lady’s fate on Instagram by saying: “I predict #MonaLisa #mural won’t last 2014 #artsdistrict #dtla #RoseSt #streetart”.

A follower by the handle “championmarty” remarked, “No respect, Mona Lisa smile is what made it.. They had to go right over her mouth.. Rude”.

Rude, maybe. But oh, baby it’s wild world and it’s hard to get by on a smile.

A search on Google maps offered this image (below) of her younger days.

Earlier iteration of the Mona Lisa of the Arts District on Google Maps.