The familiar face
Vincenzo Peruggia knew the Louvre through work for a firm that installed protective glazing. On 21 August 1911, the museum was closed to visitors.
In his later interrogation, he said he entered through the workers’ entrance, took the Mona Lisa from the Salon Carré and carried it to a service staircase.
He said he wrapped the unframed picture in his work smock. A locked door stopped him—until an unsuspecting worker opened it. Peruggia reached the street beside the Seine.
The next day, news of the theft traveled around the world by telegraph.
More than a missing smile
Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa on a panel of poplar, not canvas. Sfumato uses thin glazes to soften contours. Today, the Louvre controls humidity to help protect the wooden panel.
In December 1913, the painting was recovered in Florence. Uffizi director Giovanni Poggi examined it against photographs taken before the theft to establish its authenticity.
After public displays in Italy, it left Milan for France on 30 December. Peruggia was convicted of theft in 1914.
The escape details come from Peruggia’s recorded account. Historical sources are linked below; the puzzle does not introduce new evidence.