Leonardo da Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa around 1503, likely depicting Lisa Gherardini, a Florentine merchant’s wife. Though commissioned, Leonardo never delivered it, instead bringing it to France in 1516, where it later became part of the royal collection.

Napoleon briefly kept the painting in his private bedroom, but its most infamous moment came in 1911 when Vincenzo Peruggia stole it, believing it belonged in Italy. The heist made headlines, even leading to 

Pablo Picasso being wrongly questioned. The painting was recovered in 1913.

During WWII, the Mona Lisa was secretly moved across France to escape Nazi looting. Now housed in a bulletproof case at the Louvre, its enigmatic smile and storied past have made it the most famous painting in the world.