Mr Bean finds a place at the Louvre Abu Dhabi!

Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1, also known as Whistlers Mother, on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. - KT photo By Ryan Lim

What does British actor and comic Rowan Atkinson's lovable Mr Bean character have in common with the Louvre Abu Dhabi? Well, we've found a connection, one that may just prompt you (even if you're not a connoisseur of fine art) to pay the famed museum in the UAE capital a visit as soon as it opens to the public on Saturday, November 11.
Now, you may think you've managed to figure this one out (being huge Mr Bean fans like we are), but don't get too excited; Atkinson (sadly) isn't going to be making an appearance at the museum a la his memorable turn in 1997's screwball comedy Bean, where he somehow goes from being a clumsy, somnolent security guard at London's National Gallery to transporting an iconic painting by American artist James McNeill Whistler to the Grierson Art Gallery in Los Angeles. As is expected from any Mr Bean story, mayhem and hilarity ensues!
Have we given you enough clues yet? Yes, you guessed correct the second time: 'Whistler's Mother' - the famous painting referenced in the film Bean, is going to be on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi!
Interestingly, according to a piece in mentalfloss.com, 'Whistler's Mother' is one of the most famous American paintings outside the United States, whose appeal is easily comparable to the global cultural popularity of works like The Scream, Mona Lisa and American Gothic. We'd like to believe that the exposure 'Whistler's Mother' got in a popular comedy like Bean gave this 1871 work of art an even bigger worldwide canvas.
And though the tone of 'Whistler's Mother' (whose original name was Arrangement in Grey and Black - Portrait of the Painter's Mother) seems essentially sombre, it's practically impossible to think of the painting now without linking it to Mr Bean, and ending up in a fit of laughter. See, tickling our funny bone isn't too difficult!
But whatever may be your motive for visiting the Louvre Abu Dhabi (there are plenty of serious cultural attractions to be explored), just don't be tempted to follow in Mr Bean's bumbling footsteps and draw smiley faces on any of the art works. Happy browsing!.
enid@khaleejtimes.com