Art Trivia & Fun

As one of the most notorious art thefts of the 20th century, Mona Lisa by Leonard Da Vinci was stolen by Vincenzo Preuggia, a worker hired to by the Louvre. Preuggia was hired to install protective glass cases for some of the most famous works in the Louvre, including the “Mona Lisa”. With such access, Preuggia was able to simply hide the artwork under his smock and walked out. 

Peruggia claims it was Italian patriotism and his desire to return the artwork to his homeland that lead him to steal Mona Lisa. After 2 years, Peruggia attempted to sell the artwork to an art dealer and the director of Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Peruggia served seven months in jail for the theft.

Information obtained from saatchiart.com

Like the Ghent Altarpiece and thousands of other artworks, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I was taken by the Nazis in 1938. In her will, Adele wished for the painting to be donated to Austrian State Gallery after her husband’s death. Although with the impeding war, her husband fled their estate, leaving behind the artwork. 

The eventual heir of the artwork, as indicated by her husband’s will, was Maria Altmann, a niece of the Bloch-Bauers. For decades, Maria fought a legal battle with the Austrian government in order to reclaim the artwork. Finally in 2006, the Austrian government was ordered to return the artwork, to Maria and the other heirs. Later that year, Maria would auction off Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I to Esteé Lauder heir, Robert Lauder for $135 million. 

Information obtained from saatchiart.com

On August 22, 2004, masked gunmen entered the Munch Museum during museum hours and stole The Scream and Madonna by Edvard Munch. At the time, the paintings were worth a combined estimate of $19 million, which made them two of the most valuable paintings in the museum’s collection. Two gunmen threatened security guards before taking the paintings off the walls and escaping into an awaiting getaway vehicle. A bystander was able to photograph the gunmen before they made their escape.

Despite a bystander taking photos of the gunmen and video footage of the escape vehicle, the paintings would take two years to recover. During that time several arrests were made and rampant rumors arose that the paintings had been burned to destroy the evidence. The museum director announced that the paintings, recovered on August 31, 2006 were slightly damaged but could be repaired.

Information obtained from saatchiart.com

Like many cultural institutions, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles is closed due to the spread of the coronavirus. But during this challenging time, the Getty has found a way to keep people engaged with their art—even though they can’t see it in person. They’ve challenged their social media followers to “recreate a work of art with objects (and people)” from the comfort of their own homes. And the internet did not disappoint.