Was The Mona Lisa Really Stolen In 2023? The Viral Internet Hoax Explained
Mona Lisa #MonaLisa
There’s a rumor going around TikTok right now that says the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. Word of the theft has been spreading around the platform for the last few days, with many shocked and wondering how it could happen. As it turns out, these rumors are exactly that: rumors. Here’s how it started.
Why Does TikTok Think The Mona Lisa Was Stolen?
On January 8th, a TikToker named @narvanator posted a video of a line of police cars and emergency service vehicles driving down the road, captioned, “POV: you’re in Paris when the Mona Lisa has been stolen.” The video gained over 4 million views in a single day.
Whether the TikToker intended the video to be a joke or not (and it seems like they did based on the video description, reading, “Grus been at it again!!” a reference to Despicable Me) some users fell for it. Some of the top comments a day later include, “sorry, I missed the new update, THE MONA LISA WAS WHAT??!!” gaining over 16,000 likes and “WHAT MONA LISA GOT STOLEN!!!? AIN’T NO WAY,” with over 3,200 likes.
Was The Mona Lisa Ever Stolen Before?
Even thought the Mona Lisa wasn’t stolen in 2023, the Mona Lisa has been stolen before. In fact, its theft was what made the Mona Lisa the famous painting it is today.
In 1911, an employee of the Louvre, Vincenzo Peruggia, who helped craft its glass protective cover, stole the painting. The story was reported on across the world, becoming a national scandal and informing countless people about the painting’s existence. Some people even thought the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, was behind it, as tensions ahead of World War I were on the rise.
An investigation was launched and Peruggia was found to be the culprit. The Louvre got the Mona Lisa back and its popularity skyrocketed, turning what was at first a beautiful but underappreciated painting into one of the most well known artistic works on earth.
For the full details on the Mona Lisa, be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.