Leo Martínez
The theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911 caused a media frenzy, with the French public outraged and the New York Times declaring, 60 Detectives Seek Stolen Mona Lisa, French Public Indignant. The painting, created by Leonardo da Vinci in the early 16th century, was not widely known outside the art world before its theft. The culprit was eventually identified as Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian handyman and Louvre employee, who hid the painting in his Paris apartment. Peruggia claimed he stole the painting out of patriotism, but others suspected financial motives. Interestingly, Spanish painter Pablo Picasso was also questioned as a suspect, adding to the intrigue surrounding the iconic heist.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the painter suspected of stealing the Mona Lisa | Vincenzo Peruggia |
| Date of the theft | 21 August 1911 |
| Location of the theft | Louvre Museum, Paris |
| Nationality of the painter | Italian |
| Occupation of the painter | Museum worker, handyman, painter decorator |
| Motive for the theft | Patriotism, profit |
| Outcome of the theft | Recovered after two years, sentenced to eight months in prison |
| Other suspects | Pablo Picasso, Guillaume Apollinaire, J.P. Morgan, Nazis |
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What You'll Learn
Vincenzo Peruggia, the Italian handyman who stole the Mona Lisa
Vincenzo Peruggia was an Italian handyman who stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in Paris on 21 August 1911. Peruggia had previously worked at the Louvre as a glazier, installing protective glass cases onto paintings. This gave him access to the world-famous paintings and an understanding of how artworks were secured.
On the day of the theft, Peruggia entered the Louvre through the employee entrance, wearing a white smock—the standard uniform of a museum worker. The museum was closed that day, so there were few people around. Peruggia walked into the Salon Carré, where the Mona Lisa hung, and removed the painting from the wall. He took it to a nearby service stairway, where he removed and hid the protective case and frame. Peruggia then wrapped the painting in his smock, tucked it under his arm, and left the museum.
Peruggia hid the painting in his apartment in Paris. The theft was not discovered until the following day, when a painter who had planned to copy the Mona Lisa found it missing. Peruggia was not initially considered a suspect, and the police visited and questioned him twice about his possible involvement. However, he failed to appear at the police station for further questioning, and when the police returned to his apartment, they found the painting hidden there.
Peruggia was arrested on 12 December 1913, and he claimed that he had stolen the Mona Lisa for patriotic reasons, wanting to return it to Italy after it had been stolen by Napoleon. He was sentenced to prison but served only seven months of his sentence. After his release, he served in the Italian Army during World War I and was held as a prisoner of war for two years. He later returned to France and worked as a painter decorator until his death in 1925.
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![The Theft of the Mona Lisa [Region 2]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51sIASwJmjL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Peruggia's motive: money or patriotism?
On 21 August 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The thief was a former Louvre worker named Vincenzo Peruggia, who hid in the museum the night before and made off with the painting the next morning. Peruggia was an Italian patriot who claimed that he stole the Mona Lisa to bring it back to Italy, from where it had been plundered by Napoleon during the Napoleonic Wars.
Peruggia worked at the Louvre as a glazier and was involved in constructing the box frame for the Mona Lisa. On the day of the theft, he entered the museum wearing a white smock, disguising himself as a museum worker. When the Salon Carré, where the painting hung, was empty, he removed it from the four iron pegs securing it to the wall and took it to a nearby service stairway. He then hid the painting in his Paris apartment for two years.
Peruggia's stated motive for the theft was patriotism. He proclaimed, "I am an Italian and I do not want the picture given back to the Louvre." However, experts have questioned the sincerity of this motive, suggesting that Peruggia was instead motivated by financial gain. They argue that if his motive was truly patriotic, he would have donated the painting to an Italian museum rather than attempting to profit from its sale. This argument is supported by letters that Peruggia sent to his father after the theft, indicating his desire to make his fortune. Additionally, when Peruggia finally attempted to sell the painting to an art dealer in Florence, he asked for 500,000 Italian lire, further suggesting that financial gain was a significant factor in his actions.
On the other hand, Peruggia's actions after stealing the Mona Lisa do show some signs of patriotism. He kept the painting hidden for two years before returning to Italy with it, indicating a long-term plan to bring it back to its homeland. Additionally, when he was put on trial, the court agreed to some extent that he committed the crime for patriotic reasons and gave him a lenient sentence. He was hailed as a great patriot in Italy and served only seven months in jail.
In conclusion, while Peruggia claimed that his motive for stealing the Mona Lisa was patriotism, there is significant evidence to suggest that financial gain also played a role in his actions. His attempts to profit from the sale of the painting and his letters indicating a desire for financial gain contradict his stated patriotic motive. However, his actions and the court's recognition of his patriotic sentiments complicate the interpretation of his true motives. The truth may lie in a combination of both factors, with patriotism and monetary gain influencing his decision to steal the iconic painting.
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The poet Guillaume Apollinaire and painter Pablo Picasso were arrested
Pieret, lured by the promise of a cash reward, had stepped into the Paris-Journal's office and claimed that he had stolen art from the Louvre before and had given the works to "friends". He sold at least two Iberian sculptures to Picasso, who paid him 50 francs per piece.
Within days of Apollinaire's visit to the newspaper, the police had detained him. In early September, Picasso was ordered to appear before a magistrate. When asked if he knew Apollinaire, the terrified painter lied. The two artists had packed the Iberian sculptures into a suitcase and planned to throw them into the River Seine. However, they could not bring themselves to dump the statues and instead, Apollinaire visited the Paris-Journal the next morning, depositing the statues and demanding anonymity.
The arrests of Apollinaire and Picasso were part of a bungling police investigation into the theft of the Mona Lisa. The painting was stolen on 21 August 1911, and it took the police two years to catch up with the real culprit, Vincenzo Peruggia. Peruggia was an Italian petty criminal who had worked as a handyman at the Louvre, installing protective glass cases onto paintings. He hid in a closet overnight, removed the painting, hid it under his smock, and walked out with it under his arm. He then hid the painting in his apartment in Paris.
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Picasso's involvement: art thief or art buyer?
Pablo Picasso was indeed suspected of stealing the Mona Lisa and was even arrested and questioned as a suspect in 1911, the same year the painting went missing. However, he was not involved in the theft of the painting.
The suspicion fell on Picasso due to his association with art thief Joseph Géry Pieret, who had sold him two stolen Iberian statues in 1907. After the Mona Lisa's disappearance, Pieret stepped forward and claimed that he had previously stolen artworks from the Louvre and given them to "friends". This led investigators to suspect that the people in possession of the stolen statues might also have the Mona Lisa.
Fearing that he would be implicated in the theft, Picasso, along with his friend and poet Guillaume Apollinaire, attempted to dispose of the statues by throwing them into the River Seine. However, they could not bring themselves to do so. Instead, Apollinaire took the statues to the Paris-Journal office and demanded anonymity in exchange for returning the stolen artworks. The newspaper agreed, but the authorities soon became involved, and Apollinaire was detained.
Picasso was ordered to appear before a magistrate and, when asked if he knew Apollinaire, he lied, claiming he had never met him. Apollinaire confessed to possessing stolen art and conspiring to conceal evidence, but the judge ultimately dismissed the case, stating that it had nothing to do with the disappearance of the Mona Lisa.
The painting was eventually found in 1913 in Florence, Italy, and it was discovered that it had been stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian artist who had previously worked at the Louvre. Peruggia claimed that he stole the painting for patriotic reasons, as he wanted to bring it back to Italy, believing it had been stolen from the country by Napoleon.
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The painting's recovery and Peruggia's arrest
The recovery of the Mona Lisa and the arrest of Vincenzo Peruggia are both fascinating stories. After stealing the painting, Peruggia hid it in a false bottom in his trunk and then in his Paris apartment for two years. During this time, the theft gained widespread media attention, and the painting became a household name. Peruggia eventually grew impatient and contacted Alfredo Geri, the owner of an art gallery in Florence, seeking a reward for returning the painting to Italy. Geri, suspecting the painting might be the stolen Mona Lisa, called in Giovanni Poggi, the director of the Uffizi Gallery, who authenticated the painting. Poggi and Geri then informed the police, who arrested Peruggia at his hotel, with the painting hidden under his bed.
Peruggia's arrest brought an end to the two-year-long mystery of the Mona Lisa's disappearance and marked a significant turning point in the painting's history. Peruggia, who had previously worked at the Louvre, claimed that he stole the painting out of patriotism, wanting to return it to Italy after it had been stolen by Napoleon. However, experts questioned the sincerity of his motive, as he attempted to profit from the painting's sale rather than donating it to an Italian museum.
During his interrogation and trial, Peruggia continued to proclaim his patriotism, and the court eventually sentenced him to eight months in prison. However, he only served seven months before his release. Peruggia's theft and the subsequent recovery of the Mona Lisa transformed the painting from a relatively unknown work to one of the most famous artworks in the world. The media frenzy surrounding the theft and the return of the painting generated international fame for the Mona Lisa, and it became a cultural icon.
The recovery of the painting and the arrest of Peruggia involved a combination of luck, persistence, and investigative work. The police and detectives faced a challenging task, as the Louvre had minimal security at the time, with less than 150 security personnel guarding 250,000 artifacts. The investigation included interrogating Louvre staff, interviewing temporary workers, and even considering suspects such as Pablo Picasso and Guillaume Apollinaire. Despite the challenges, the recovery of the Mona Lisa and the arrest of Peruggia marked a significant moment in the history of art and popular culture.
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Frequently asked questions
Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian handyman who worked at the Louvre, stole the Mona Lisa in 1911.
Peruggia claimed that he stole the painting to return it to Italy, as he believed it had been looted from Italy by Napoleon. However, others believe that he was motivated by money.
Peruggia hid in a closet overnight and then removed the painting, hid it under his smock, and walked out with it. He then hid the painting in his apartment in Paris.
Two brothers, Vincenzo and Michele Lancelotti, aided Peruggia with the theft.
Yes, Spanish painter Pablo Picasso was also questioned by police as a suspect.
