Thousands of visitors gather every day before the Mona Lisa, drawn in by the enigmatic smile of the woman immortalized by Leonardo da Vinci. Yet, few stop to wonder why this Renaissance masterpiece, so intimately tied to Italy, is in Paris, at the Louvre, rather than in an Italian museum. How did this iconic painting make its way to the French capital? To understand its journey, we must go back five centuries, to the Italy of wars and art.
The Creation of a Masterpiece and a Particular Attachment
Painted in the early 1500s, the Mona Lisa took shape under Leonardo da Vinci’s brush while he was living in Florence. Likely intended to portray Lisa Gherardini, the wife of merchant Francesco del Giocondo, the painting fascinates as much for its technique as for the mystery surrounding her identity. While historian Giorgio Vasari identified her as “Monna Lisa,” experts question the accuracy of his sources. What is certain, however, is that Leonardo was reluctant to part with the work. Rather than selling it to its patron, the artist kept the painting, revisiting it again and again, his perfectionism knowing no end.
The Invitation of Francis I: From Florence to the Loire Valley
In the early 1510s, as France sought to expand its influence into Northern Italy, King Francis I discovered Leonardo’s work and was captivated by his genius. The French king invited the master to come live in France, offering him a manor near Amboise, close to the royal castle, along with a pension in exchange for his expertise. In 1517, Leonardo crossed the Alps, bringing with him several paintings, including the famous Mona Lisa, and settled in Clos Lucé. He remained there until his death in 1519, and the painting stayed with the French crown.
After the artist’s death, the Mona Lisa became a prized piece of the royal collections, initially in Fontainebleau and later at Versailles under Louis XIV. Officially part of the French crown’s assets, it would never return to Italy.
A Late Fame at the Louvre
The Mona Lisa arrived at the Louvre after the French Revolution, classified as national property. Yet, it was not yet the universal icon we know today. During an exhibition in 1750, which displayed the crown’s masterpieces, the Mona Lisa was not even included. It drew modest, discreet admiration within the Louvre’s galleries, without any claim to fame.
The 1911 Theft: How a Disappearance Created a Legend
The Mona Lisa’s fame was cemented by a crime. In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian worker employed at the museum. Taking advantage of the lack of security, Peruggia hid the painting under his coat and left the building. For two years, the Mona Lisa lay hidden beneath a bed, until Peruggia, thinking the painting rightfully belonged in Italy, tried to sell it to a Florentine art dealer. Alerted to the theft, the police recovered the painting, and Peruggia, claiming patriotism, was ultimately given a light prison sentence.
Ironically, this theft catapulted the Mona Lisa to global fame. The emotional reaction to its disappearance, amplified by the international press, marked the beginning of its legend. Upon its return, crowds thronged to the Louvre to see this painting, now imbued with a mystique no one had previously suspected.
The Mona Lisa: French Heritage or Universal Legacy?
Today, the Mona Lisa reigns in the Louvre, a highlight of a national collection that evokes both pride and questions. As both a jewel of the Italian Renaissance and a legacy of France’s royal heritage, her smile embodies the ambiguity of her origins. Is she a treasure that France has carefully protected, or a universal legacy that transcends borders? Though forever linked to Leonardo and Italy, she undoubtedly belongs to the dreams of millions of visitors.