History Daily – "The Mona Lisa is Stolen from the Louvre"

Air Date: August 21, 2025
Host: Lindsey Graham
Production: Airship | Noiser | Wondery

Episode Overview

This episode of History Daily, hosted by Lindsey Graham, chronicles the riveting events surrounding the 1911 theft of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa from the Louvre Museum. Through atmospheric storytelling, the episode explores not only the daring heist itself but also the motives of the thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, the unintended involvement of two of Paris's most famous artists, the artwork’s two-year disappearance, and the ultimate fate of both the painting and its thief. The story exposes how the theft transformed the Mona Lisa from a respected Renaissance painting into the world’s most famous work of art.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Paris in Chaos: The Aftermath of the Theft

• Opening Scene in Court (00:00 – 05:55)

  • Pablo Picasso and Guillaume Apollinaire, both luminaries of Parisian art circles, are accused of involvement in the theft.
  • Guillaume’s former secretary alleges they had purchased stolen artifacts before, linking them to the crime.
  • The presiding judge is skeptical, as Picasso’s testimony is fraught with contradiction and evident distress; he even denies knowing Apollinaire, which surprises and wounds his friend.
  • The judge ultimately dismisses the charges, convinced by their emotional displays that the two are too frazzled to manage such a heist.

  Notable Quote:
  "Shaking with nerves, Pablo's testimony becomes contradictory and then nonsensical... he claims not even to know Guillaume." – Narrator (01:53)

2. The Heist: Vincenzo Peruggia’s Motivations and Method

• The Theft Detailed (05:55 – 12:50)

  • On August 21, 1911, Italian handyman Vincenzo Peruggia, motivated by resentment over anti-Italian sentiment and a sense of patriotism, infiltrates the Louvre disguised in a workman’s smock.
  • He believes the Mona Lisa was wrongfully taken from Italy and seeks to return it, viewing the theft as a symbolic act of national pride.
  • Peruggia exploits his insider knowledge (having helped install the painting's protective glass) and the general laxness of security—remarkably, a plumber even assists him in escaping with the painting, unaware of the crime.

  Notable Quote:
  "Today he is going to steal the Mona Lisa... in reclaiming the painting, he hopes to not only get back at those who have insulted him, but more importantly, to restore stolen pride to his homeland." – Narrator (06:37)

  Timeline:

  • 07:00 a.m. – Peruggia enters the museum disguised as a worker (05:58).
  • 07:20 a.m. – He hides in a closet until the room is empty, then removes the painting.

3. Unintended Fame: The World Reacts

• Empty Wall Becomes Tourist Attraction (12:50 – 14:20)

  • The absence of the Mona Lisa causes a sensation; the formerly modestly famous painting comes to be a symbol of intrigue.
  • The theft brings more visitors to the Louvre, many just to see the empty space where the Mona Lisa once hung.
  • The search for the painting and speculation about its whereabouts intensifies international interest.

  Notable Quote:
  "Vincenzo's theft will catapult Da Vinci's masterpiece into unprecedented international stardom..." – Narrator (11:47)

4. The Recovery: How the Mona Lisa Returned

• Negotiations in Florence (12:50 – 18:21)

  • December 1913: After two years of hiding the painting in his modest Paris apartment, Peruggia tries to sell it to an Italian antiques dealer, Alfredo Geri, in Florence.
  • Geri and the director of a local gallery, Giovanni Poggi, confirm the painting’s authenticity and alert the police.
  • Peruggia is arrested—ironically, after escaping scrutiny in Paris due to his unassuming status.

  Notable Quote:
  "Vincenzo is hardly the criminal mastermind Alfredo had been expecting... the Italian handyman ignores his peer's consternation and quickly takes control of the meeting." – Narrator (13:19)

5. The Trial and Its Aftermath

• The Court’s Judgement (18:21 – 21:52)

  • During his 1914 trial in Florence, Peruggia insists his act was patriotic, not criminal—he wished to restore Italy’s pride, not for profit.
  • The jury, swayed by nationalist sentiment and recognizing the widespread theft of Italian art by France during the Napoleonic era, shows sympathy.
  • Peruggia is sentenced to just one year and fifteen days, ultimately serving only seven months before joining the Italian Army in World War I.
  • The theft is reframed as a "pilgrimage" of the Mona Lisa, and the episode closes by noting that her global fame is due in large part to these extraordinary events.

  Notable Quote:
  "In their eyes, all Vincenzo did was take it on a valuable pilgrimage to the land of its maker." – Narrator (20:45)

  Notable Statistic:
  "Every year, millions of people continue to visit the Louvre and around 80% of them are believed to come just to see the Mona Lisa—a staggering figure for a single painting that was little known until Vincenzo Peruggia stole it from the Louvre on August 21, 1911." – Narrator (21:41)

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Picasso Denies Knowing Apollinaire (01:53): "He claims not even to know Guillaume. And as Pablo makes this declaration, he sees his friend's expression morph into one of surprise and hurt..."

• The Plumber’s Fortuitous Mistake (09:13): "The plumber, rather than asking him where he's going with the painting, simply offers to help him with the door."

• Courtroom Climax – Nationalist Sympathy (20:45): "In their eyes, all Vincenzo did was take it on a valuable pilgrimage to the land of its maker."

Important Segment Timestamps

• Picasso and Apollinaire’s Interrogation: 00:00 – 05:55
• The Theft – Peruggia’s Break-in: 05:55 – 12:50
• Peruggia Attempts to Return the Painting: 12:50 – 18:21
• Peruggia’s Trial and the Mona Lisa’s Future: 18:21 – 21:52

Tone and Narrative Style

• The episode delivers the story with dramatic flair, vividly depicting scenes in courtrooms and the shadowed corridors of the Louvre.
• The host’s narration balances suspenseful reenactment with historical clarity, using direct quotes and rich scene-setting for immersive storytelling.

In Summary

This History Daily episode retells the story of the Mona Lisa’s theft as an unlikely saga of national pride, personal resentment, and fate’s quirks. It explains how the case not only drew in some of the era’s greatest artists, but also how the crime itself improbably turned the Mona Lisa into the global icon she is today. Through expert narration, we see how one man's grievance and a stroke of luck changed the art world forever.