August 21, 2024
It was the most colossal theft of modern times.
The El Paso Herald on February 8, 1919, describing the theft of the “Mona Lisa” that happened on August 21, 1911.
Why It Matters: On August 21, 1911, the “Mona Lisa” vanished from the Louvre.
A well-known painting by Leonardo da Vinci suddenly captured the media spotlight and the world’s attention.
Aspiring painter, Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian who had worked at the Louvre at one time as a glass cutter/installer, took the painting off the wall, removed it from its frame and kept it in his possession for more than two years, eventually traveling back to Florence.
He believed the painting belonged to Italy, Da Vinci’s homeland, and the native home of the woman with the mysterious smile.
Law enforcement only found Peruggia after he reached out to an antique dealer to try and sell the painting.
The robbery and the intense press coverage vaulted the “Mona Lisa” to a new standing in the art world, and the story of the “Mona Lisa” continues to fuel enthusiasm to this day, as my family and I saw in the Louvre earlier this summer as we traveled to Normandy for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Read More: Mona Lisa: The theft that created a legend (CNN)
Stolen: How the Mona Lisa Became the World’s Most Famous Painting (Smithsonian Magazine)
Book: The Crimes of Paris: A True Story of Murder, Theft, and Detection (We earn a small commission on every item you purchase through our product links. Thank you for helping keep us ad-free and independent.)
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons (“After photo for the return of Gioconda at the Louvre Museum 1914”)
by Jenna Lee, Founder of SmartHER News
