Art Heist One: The Louvre
Where: Paris
When: 1911
Why it's impressive: A custodian left unnoticed with the most famous painting in history tucked under his shirt.
In 1911, da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" was stolen from the Louvre museum in Paris in a theft that shocked the world. Vincenzo Perugia, an Italian immigrant working as a custodian in the museum, finished his shift on August 20 and hid in a small room. When everyone had left, he walked out the room, carefully removed the painting from its frame and stuck it under his uniform. He left the museum, and the masterpiece disappeared for two years.
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The police record of Vincenzo Perugia who attempted to steal the "Mona Lisa" in 1911.
Staff actually didn't know the "Mona Lisa" was missing until the end of the next day. When they saw the empty space on the wall, they assumed the painting had been removed for upkeep. Finally, they called the police, but there were no clues at the scene.
Two years later, Perugia was captured. He claimed he felt compelled to return the painting to Italy, da Vinci's homeland, out of a sense of patriotism. He was caught trying to sell the painting to a dealer in Italy who immediately called the police when he realized Perugia was holding the real thing.
The Whitworth Gallery in Manchester, England, was relieved of three masterpieces in 2003: "Tahitian Landscape" by Gauguin, "Fortification of Paris with Houses" by Van Gogh, and "Poverty" by Picasso. The theft went undetected by guards, security cameras and the museum alarm system. An anonymous tip led police to a public restroom the next day, where they found all three works stashed behind a toilet in a cardboard tube.
Thieves hit Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland in 2003. They entered dressed as tourists, attacked a tour guide, grabbed a $65 million painting off the wall and escaped to a getaway car. They left with Leonardo da Vinci's "Madonna of the Yarnwinder," considered to be the artist's greatest work (next to the "Mona Lisa") [source: Crime Library]. Neither the thieves nor the painting has been found. |
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