Mona Lisa Stolen from the Louvre in Paris

Summary

By the early 20th century, the Louvre in Paris housed one of the world's premier art collections, though Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa was not yet the global icon it would become. On the morning of August 21, 1911, Italian handyman Vincenzo Peruggia, a former museum employee, hid overnight in a closet. He removed the painting from its frame, wrapped it in his smock, and walked out unnoticed during the museum's closure day. The theft went undiscovered for nearly a full day. French police investigated widely, briefly suspecting figures like Pablo Picasso. The painting was recovered in Florence, Italy, in 1913 after Peruggia attempted to sell it.

Why It Matters

The high-profile theft generated massive international media coverage that transformed the Mona Lisa into a worldwide celebrity artwork. It highlighted vulnerabilities in museum security and remains one of the most famous art crimes in history.

Sources

1. The Theft That Made The 'Mona Lisa' A Masterpiece, NPR. Accessed 2026-07-02.