The Nude face

At the break of dawn in Paris on August 21st, 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia, under the shroud of secrecy, removed a painting from the wall and stealthily descended the rear staircase of the Louvre. The prospect of freedom was within his reach, with the exit just ahead, when an unexpected dual obstacle confronted him: the door was firmly locked, and the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder. Clutched beneath Peruggia's arm was none other than Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," a painting that would eventually become arguably the most renowned in the world. But how did it attain such status?

It is believed that Leonardo embarked on the portrait around 1503 at the behest of a Florentine merchant seeking a depiction of his wife, Lisa Gherardini. Over the course of more than a decade, Leonardo continually worked on the painting, though it remained unfinished at the time of his passing. Throughout his lifetime, Leonardo conducted groundbreaking research on human optics, which led to the pioneering of certain artistic techniques. Some of these techniques can be observed in the "Mona Lisa." Through "atmospheric perspective," he made distant images appear hazier, creating the illusion of depth. Using "sfumato," he introduced subtle gradations between colors, softening the edges of the depicted forms. While these elements are undoubtedly remarkable, are they sufficient to elevate the "Mona Lisa" to its status as the world's most famous painting?

Many scholars recognize it as an exceptional Renaissance portrait, but one among many. History is teeming with extraordinary works of art. The "Mona Lisa's" global acclaim hinged largely on factors that transcended the canvas. King François the First of France acquired the painting and publicly displayed it after Leonardo's demise. In 1550, Italian scholar Giorgio Vasari published a widely translated biography of Italian Renaissance artists, including Leonardo. This book contained an effusive description of the "Mona Lisa" as a mesmerizing representation of life. As years passed, the "Mona Lisa" became one of the most coveted pieces in the French Royal Collection, adorning Napoleon's bedroom and eventually gracing the Louvre Museum, where it attracted visitors eager to behold the once-private treasures of the deposed aristocracy.

During the 1800s, a cadre of European scholars further embellished the reputation of the "Mona Lisa," focusing to an exceptional degree on the subject's allure. In 1854, Alfred Dumesnil characterized Mona Lisa's smile as possessing a "treacherous attraction." A year later, Théophile Gautier commented on her "mocking lips" and "gaze promising unknown pleasures." In 1869, Walter Pater depicted Mona Lisa as the embodiment of timeless feminine beauty. By the 20th century, the portrait had become an iconic masterpiece within one of the world's most celebrated museums.

Nonetheless, the "Mona Lisa" had not yet achieved household-name recognition. It was the audacious theft by Peruggia in 1911 that propelled it to unprecedented fame. Given that Peruggia had been contracted to create protective cases for the Louvre, it was not entirely implausible for him to be inadvertently locked inside the museum. Fortunately, when a workman encountered him in the stairwell, he assisted Peruggia in opening the door and allowed him to exit into the morning.

The theft made headlines worldwide, attracting crowds of people to observe the void where the "Mona Lisa" had once hung. Peruggia was interviewed by the police due to his prior employment at the Louvre, but he was never considered a suspect. Meanwhile, Pablo Picasso was interrogated because of his connection to a prior Louvre theft but was eventually released. For two years, Peruggia concealed the painting in a suitcase with a false bottom, smuggling it to Italy with the intent to sell it to a Florentine art dealer. Peruggia viewed himself as an Italian patriot returning a masterpiece to its homeland. However, instead of being celebrated, he was promptly apprehended. With the mystery resolved, the "Mona Lisa" was reinstated on public display, drawing large crowds, and newspapers celebrated the victory of its return.

In the ensuing decades, the iconic painting was mocked by conceptual artist Marcel Duchamp, sought after by Nazi art thieves, immortalized in Nat King Cole's song, and subjected to numerous attacks by museumgoers wielding stones, paint, acid, and teacups. More than 500 years after its creation, with eyebrows and eyelashes long faded, the "Mona Lisa" is safeguarded by a bulletproof, earthquake-resistant case. It now stands as a testament to how celebrity is constructed and preserved, possibly more as a symbol of fame than an exemplary Renaissance portrait.