The Mona Lisa, one of the most famous paintings in the world, has been stolen only once. This infamous theft occurred on August 21, 1911, when the painting was taken from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, was an Italian handyman who had worked at the museum. He hid in a closet overnight and walked out with the painting the next morning, concealed under his clothing.
The painting was missing for over two years before it was recovered. Peruggia was caught when he attempted to sell the Mona Lisa to an art dealer in Florence, Italy. The painting was returned to the Louvre in 1913, where it remains to this day, now protected by advanced security measures.
Despite its fame and value, the Mona Lisa has not been stolen since this single incident. However, it has been the target of several other attacks, including an acid attack in 1956 and a rock-throwing incident in 1956, which caused minor damage. These events have led to the implementation of even stricter security protocols to ensure the painting’s safety.