How could someone steal a painting from a museum?
How could someone steal a painting from a museum? When Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” disappeared from the Louvre museum in Paris in 1911, the world was shocked. The theft went undetected for days. Museum staff saw the empty space on the wall and assumed the painting had been moved to the Louvre’s restoration center for upkeep. But by the second day, the Louvre called the police. The theft of the “Mona Lisa” by museum worker Vincenzo Perugia was brilliant in its simplicity. It’s unclear what type of security the museum used at the time, but some facts are known for sure. After Perugia’s shift ended on Sunday, he hid in a room. When everyone had gone home, he left his hiding place, took the “Mona Lisa” off the wall, removed it from its frame, stuck the priceless work under his shirt and walked out into the night. One might think museum security has vastly improved since 1911, but most museums don’t have the money to invest in million-
