“Mona Lisa,” a Corot, a Watteau… Several paintings have already been stolen from the great Parisian museum, which has progressively perfected its security throughout its history.
While the break-in at the Louvre Museum on Sunday, October 19, is exceptional for its spectacular nature, it is far from the first. The most famous theft, which contributed to the fame of the painting involved, is of course that of the Mona Lisa on August 21, 1911.
The thief knew how to get in, operated on a day the museum was closed, and simply took the painting off the wall. He then hid it for two years before being arrested in 1913 while trying to sell it in Florence. In his defense, he claimed he wanted to return the looted work to its country of origin, omitting or ignoring the fact that it had been acquired directly from the artist by King Francis I.
This theft was preceded by others, committed in 1907.