The day the Mona Lisa vanished

On 21 August 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. For more than two years, the painting was missing.

Vincenzo Peruggia, a glazier who had worked at the museum, eventually offered it to an Italian art dealer. The dealer alerted the authorities. The painting was recovered in 1913.

The attempted sale created the contact that ended the search. A masterpiece had to come out of hiding before its thief could profit from it.