The HBOMAX series Hacks finale gave art lovers an unexpected gift: a visit to the Louvre that turns into a conversation about fame, legacy, and who gets remembered.

As Deborah (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) make their way through the museum, Ava jokes that she doesn’t really get the obsession with the Mona Lisa; a perfect Ava moment, poking fun at the most famous painting in the world while cutting through the mythology surrounding it. The scene sets up a larger idea that runs throughout the episode: sometimes the most interesting stories in a museum aren’t the ones everyone already knows.

That becomes clear when they stop in front of Judith Leyster’s The Merry Company. Ava immediately notices the painting’s cheerful couple, joking that they look a little goofy and that when “two busted people are in love, it’s extra romantic.” Deborah laughs but then shares the deeper story behind the work. For centuries, Leyster’s paintings were often attributed to Frans Hals and other male artists, obscuring the accomplishments of one of the Dutch Baroque period’s most talented painters.

It’s a perfect choice for Hacks. Deborah connects with Leyster’s story because she understands what it means to have your talent overlooked, underestimated, or credited to someone else. And Ava’s reading of the painting isn’t wrong either: Leyster captured real people with warmth, humor, and humanity. The couple may look a little ridiculous, but that’s exactly what makes them feel so alive.

The finale reminds us that behind every famous masterpiece like the Mona Lisa are countless artists whose stories are still being rediscovered. Judith Leyster’s work proves that greatness doesn’t depend on recognition in the moment and that sometimes the most meaningful painting in the room isn’t the one surrounded by the biggest crowd.