New Delhi: Mona Lisa is one of the most famous paintings in the history of the world. The half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci is widely considered to be a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. It is the most famous, most talked-about and most visited piece of art in the world. However, the painting first became globally famous in 1911, interestingly due to its theft by a person named Vincenzo Peruggia who cited Italian patriotism as his reason since Mona Lisa has been displayed at the Louvre in Paris since 1797. The painting was recovered in 1914 and it generated unprecedented publicity after that.
The theft of Mona Lisa
In 1908, Vincenzo Peruggia moved to Paris from Italy. In Paris, he got a job at the Louvre to clean and reframe paintings and also to construct strong cases for some of the museum’s arts, including for the Mona Lisa. He was involved in the box frame construction of Mona Lisa and knew how to open it quickly. At that time, Louvre did not have much security.
In 1911, Peruggia perpetrated the 20th century’s greatest art theft. On August 21, in the morning, he entered the Louvre through the door used by other Louvre workers and wore their costume. It was a quiet and empty morning at the Louvre. He lifted the painting off the four iron pegs and later removed the protective case and frame. He took off his smock and wrapped it around the painting, and then left the Louvre.
Notably, at that time, Peruggia was not working for the Louvre. After leaving the museum, he hid the painting in his Paris apartment. The was discovered the following day and more than 60 policemen searched the Louvre in search of clues, but found nothing.
How was the painting recovered?
During the investigation, the police interrogated every staff of the Louvre and even visited Peruggia’s apartment but he was not a primary suspect. The police even failed to spot the painting hidden in his apartment. Even, the detective wrote his report in the same room where the painting was hidden. Moreover, the police took the fingerprints of all the museum employees but did not take that of Peruggia.
For two years, Peruggia kept the painting hidden in his apartment. Then he returned to Italy and kept it in his Florence apartment. Finally, he grew impatient and got caught when he contacted Alfredo Geri who owned a Florence art gallery. Police was informed and Peruggia was arrested, with the Mona Lisa found under his bed. In 1913, Mona Lisa was returned to the Louvre and it became the most famous artwork in the world.
Vincenzo Peruggia, a Louvre employee, stole the Mona Lisa in 1911, exploiting lax security. His act of “patriotic” theft catapulted the painting to global fame. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
