On August 21, 1911, the Monalisa painting was stolen from the Loover Museum in Paris.
In the picture, Monalisa is laughing, or smiling as a satire, this question remains intact today. The picture of Monalisa continued to complicate people for decades. Interestingly, Italy’s Leonardo da Vinci completed this painting in 14 years. 12 years only started making its lips. The date of August 21 is definitely mentioned in the history of this picture. This is the date when this painting was stolen from the Museum of Paris and this incident made headlines worldwide.
On August 21, 1911, the Monalisa painting was stolen from the Loover Museum in Paris. This theft was done by Italy’s Vinseenzo Perugia. It was discussed around the world and after almost two years of efforts It was recovered on December 12, 1913.
Who was Monalisa?
Monalisa’s real name was Lisa Gaurradini. She is claimed that she was the wife of Francesco del Gaokondo, a businessman from Florence city. Da Vinci used Sphumato technology to prepare her picture, which shows the face soft and slightly blurred. This is also a reason behind becoming a puzzle of this painting.
Two years after the theft, it was recovered and taken back to the Loover Museum. Today it is placed in the same museum behind the bulletproof glass.
Monalisa was the wife of Francesco del Gaokondo, a businessman from Florence city. Photo: Photo Credit: Marc Piasecki/Getty Images
How and why Monalisa was stolen?
On the evening of 20 August 2011, Vinseenz, a small stature and mustache, entered the Perugia museum and reached the part where the painting was done. To make his plan successful, he found it more safe to hide there overnight. The next day it was seven and a quarter to seven in the morning. People were very less on the streets. He came out wearing a white apron, which was usually worn by the museum employees at that time.
When he felt that the path was clear, he went back to the museum, uprooted the painting from the wall. Wrapped him in a white sheet and tried to take him out. Then a plumber of the lover saw him. Being a dress of the museum, he considered it an employee and helped to open the door. He also thanked. It is claimed that Perugia kept the painting hidden in his apron. In this way, the employees of the luver could not even know that the world’s most precious painting has been stolen from there.
The painting was recovered and taken back to the museum.Photo: Photo Credit: Marc Piasecki/Getty Images
What was the reason for theft?
After the theft, Perugia contacted Alfredo Gery to sell that painting. Alfredo was a florentine art dealer. Perugia wrote a letter to Alfredo to steal Monalisa and bring it back to Italy.
Perugia was saddened by the fact that this painting is from Italy and it should be in Italy itself. With this intention, he stole painting.After talking to Uhwi Gallery director Geoani Pogi, Alfredo called Perugia in Florence and agreed to watch the painting.
All reached the hotel room of Perugia where Monalisa’s painting was wrapped in red silk cloth. The amount of painting was fixed, although he had no intention of purchasing it, he wanted to confirm whether the painting was really Monalisa or not. He gave information about Perugia and painting to the officials. In this way Perugia was caught and the painting was recovered and taken back to the museum.
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