In 1911, thieves walked out of the Louvre Museum with the Mona Lisa hidden under a blanket. The shocking theft turned an ordinary painting into the world's biggest art mystery.
Around 1503, Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa. More than an artist, he was an inventor, scientist, engineer, and anatomist. His unmatched blend of science and creativity made the portrait feel astonishingly alive.
Da Vinci used the revolutionary Sfumato technique, blending light and shadow so perfectly that the Mona Lisa's smile seems to change with every angle. Happy, mysterious, sad - or all at once?
Most historians believe she was Lisa Gherardini, wife of merchant Francesco del Giocondo. Others think the portrait hides Leonardo's own features - or symbolizes ideal beauty itself.
Some researchers believe the Isleworth Mona Lisa could be another original by Leonardo. Modern scans and pigment analysis continue, but experts still can't agree.
Today, the Mona Lisa sits behind bulletproof glass inside a climate-controlled case at the Louvre Museum. Millions visit every year to see the painting whose theft made it the most famous artwork on Earth.