On this day in 1913, the world-famous Mona Lisa was recovered in Florence, Italy, more than two years after it was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The painting, created by Leonardo da Vinci in the early 1500s, had disappeared in an audacious heist, leaving the art world and the public stunned. Its recovery marked the end of one of history’s most infamous art thefts and added to the mystique surrounding the masterpiece.
The theft took place on August 21, 1911, when Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian handyman and former Louvre employee, walked out of the museum with the painting hidden under his clothing. Peruggia claimed he wanted to return the Mona Lisa to Italy, believing it had been stolen by Napoleon. While his reasoning was historically inaccurate, his actions captivated the world. For two years, the painting’s whereabouts remained a mystery, sparking speculation and even false accusations against prominent figures, including the artist Pablo Picasso.
The Mona Lisa was finally recovered when Peruggia attempted to sell it to Alfredo Geri, an art dealer in Florence. Peruggia believed he was acting patriotically, but Geri and Giovanni Poggi, the director of the Uffizi Gallery, recognized the painting and informed the police. On December 11, 1913, authorities arrested Peruggia and secured the Mona Lisa. The painting was returned to the Louvre the following month, where it remains one of the museum’s most iconic works.
Peruggia’s trial revealed his motives were not driven by greed but by a sense of nationalism. This, along with his modest background, led to a relatively light sentence of just over a year in prison. The story of the theft and recovery not only heightened the painting’s fame but also cemented its place in popular culture. What was once an admired Renaissance work became a global symbol of intrigue and artistic brilliance.
More from us: Italian Historian Claims to Have Solved a Mona Lisa Mystery
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Today, the story of the Mona Lisa’s theft and recovery is remembered as a pivotal moment in art history. It transformed the painting into a legend, ensuring that Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece would forever capture the imagination of people around the world.