
08/21/2025
Before this day in 1911, she was just another portrait.
114 years ago today, one of the most shocking art heists in history rocked the Louvre: Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece was stolen in broad daylight. The thief was an Italian handyman who hid in a closet overnight and slipped out with the painting under his smock. The museum didn’t even realize it was missing for over 24 hours.
Surprisingly, the global manhunt that followed helped catapult the Mona Lisa into superstardom. Before the heist, she was admired—but after two years of headlines, theories, and intrigue, she became iconic. When she was finally recovered in 1913, she returned to the Louvre not just as a painting, but as a legend.