Quick! Name a famous painting. Chances are you’re thinking
of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Mona Lisa is the most recognizable painting on the
planet. But it hasn’t always been that way. She was painted in 1507, but outside
the art world, Mona Lisa was relatively unknown until she was stolen. In 1911, an
Italian handyman Vincenzo Peruggia covered the portrait with a cloth and carried
it out of the Louvre. No one even noticed the absence for two days. But when
they did, the press had a field day. Crowds lined up to see the spot where “La
Gioconda” used to hang. The chief of police stepped down in shame. People all
over the world speculated about the painting’s whereabouts. Peruggia returned
the painting to his homeland, expecting to be hailed a national hero. But
stories of the theft had made Mona Lisa too hot to handle. The culprit was
arrested, and his suddenly popular prize was returned.
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