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The Canvas: 🖼️
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1503 in Italy. Leonardo moved from Italy to France in his final years. The French Royal Court took possession of the Mona Lisa upon his death. After the French Revolution of 1972, King Louis XVI was jailed and the Louvre, originally a palace, was turned into an art museum, showing off his collections. At one point, Napoleon kept the painting for himself in his own bedroom.
Disappearing Act: 💨
August 1911, the Mona Lisa went missing from the Louvre. The painting wasn’t famous at that time, it even took 24 hours before anyone realised it was gone. But from then on, the Mona Lisa mystery became the biggest news in the world. Its theft got frontline coverage, and theories behind the culprit were sensational. Artist, Pablo Picasso, and noted art lover, JP Morgan were one of the most famous suspects behind its disappearance. The real thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, was caught in 1913. He was just a Louvre worker who literally walked out of the museum holding the painting! He was caught in his native home of Florence, Italy. His motive was patriotic, he said Napoleon “stole” the work and wanted to return it to Italy. Vincenzo also couldn’t sell the Mona Lisa as it would raise the alarms immediately. The Italian government toured Mona Lisa around Italy before returning it to the Louvre. At this point, the artwork became one of the world’s most famous images.
That’s how the Mona Lisa is now famous for being famous. In 1962, it became the priciest painting ever insured, valued at $100M (equivalent to $870m today) for a 3-month tour in the US. What’s her value today? Priceless, the Louvre will never sell its biggest attraction.
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