ELI5: Was the Mona Lisa Ever Stolen?

Yes, the Mona Lisa was actually stolen from her museum home over a hundred years ago.

Imagine you have a favorite family picture hanging on your living room wall. One day, you walk into the room, and the picture is completely gone, leaving behind only an empty space and a dusty nail. That is exactly what happened to the most famous painting in the world.

Here is the story of how it happened:

• The sneaky sleepover: A man who worked at the museum named Vincenzo Perugia hid in a broom closet overnight.
• The simple escape: Early the next morning, he took the painting off the wall, wrapped his big white coat around it like a hidden package, and walked right out the front door.
• The missing days: Because museums were different back then, people just thought the painting was taken down for cleaning. Nobody even called the police until the next day!

The painting was finally found when the thief tried to sell it to an art dealer in another city. The dealer immediately recognized the famous smiling lady, called the police, and the thief was caught.

Before this grand adventure, the Mona Lisa was well-liked, but getting stolen turned her into a worldwide superstar. Today, she is back in the Louvre Museum in Paris, sitting safely behind thick, bulletproof glass so no one can ever take her on an unwanted vacation again.