LEGO has been inspired by the art in Paris, France with a duo of new LEGO Icons sets bound for release this year. From its home in the Louvre’s Salle des États, the Mona Lisa is by far the most well-known painting in the world, soon to be remade in brick and plate. LEGO Art 31213 Mona Lisa will be a little over 1:2 scale, coming in at 43 x 11.5 in (or 43 x 30 cm) and is comprised of 1,503 pieces. Moving over to the world of architecture, LEGO Architecture 21061 Notre-Dame de Paris is perhaps the best known cathedral in the world, its namesake standing tall since 1260. The LEGO version will still sit at an impressive 13 in tall (33 cm), with a removable roof and detailed interior. These popular Parisian LEGO productions will go on sale at the start of October and June, respectively. More details and pics of these new sets are below!
LEGO Architecture 21061 Notre-Dame de Paris | 4,383 Pieces | Available June 1 | US $229.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £199.99
LEGO Art 31213 Mona Lisa | 1,503 Pieces | Available October 1 | US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99
Here’s the press release from LEGO:
Today, the LEGO Group 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.
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’re excited 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).
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.”
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.
Like the pirate ship that you could transform from ship to wreck, the Notre Dame should transform from church to burned out husk.
one of the most known detail about Mona Lisa painting is the difference of horizon on each side of her head, … so weird it wasn’t preserved !
Really loving the new 3D features in these lego Art entries. It doesn’t look quite like the Mona Lisa, but does a really good job at creating something like it with a very new twist. Way to go Lego!
Mona lisa looks like Jimmy carr the uk comic in a wig!