The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris on August 21, 1911, by an Italian handyman named Vincenzo Peruggia. Peruggia, who had briefly worked at the museum, hid in a closet overnight and took the painting the next day when the museum was closed. He removed the painting from its frame and concealed it under his clothes before walking out of the museum with it.

Leonardo da Vinci employed several innovative techniques in painting the Mona Lisa. One of the most notable is sfumato, which involves the delicate blending of colors and tones to achieve a soft, smoky appearance. This technique not only creates realistic transitions between light and shadow but also imbues the painting with a sense of depth and atmosphere. Additionally, Leonardo’s meticulous attention to detail and his scientific understanding of anatomy contributed to the lifelike quality of the Mona Lisa.

The Mona Lisa is famous for several reasons. Firstly, it is renowned for its technical brilliance, particularly Leonardo’s use of sfumato—a technique of blending colors and tones to create soft transitions between light and shadow. Secondly, its enigmatic smile has fascinated viewers for centuries, inviting various interpretations about the subject’s mood and personality. Lastly, it is an iconic symbol of art and culture, widely recognized as one of the greatest paintings in history.