Mona Lisa : Leonardo da Vinci
After Liberation, late 1944: An empty wall where the Mona Lisa once hung.
Mona Lisa
Probably the most recognized painting in the world, the Mona Lisa is, contrary to popular opinion, not as great a mystery as many claim. Giorgio Vasari, the sixteenth-century biographer of Italian artists, said that the sitter was “Mona Lisa”, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo. Mona is an Italian term of respect that roughly translates to “my lady”. In Europe, the portrait is known after the sitter’s surname: “La Joconde” in France and “La Gioconde” in Italy. Vasari’s claim was finally confirmed in 1991, when Janice Shell and Grazioso Sironi published the 1525 death inventory of Leonardo’s longtime assistant. At the time of his death, the assistant was in possession of the portrait and several other works by his master.
During World War II, Louvre officials went to extraordinary lengths to protect the Mona Lisa – moving the painting many times, as noted below:
| Late August 1939 | Evacuated from the Louvre on August 28 Arrived at Chambord |
| Mid-November 1939 | Evacuated to Louvigny |
| June 1940 | Departed Louvigny on June 3 Arrived at Loc Dieu on June 5 |
| September 1940 | Departed Loc Dieu on September 20 Arrived at Montauban |
| Late 1942/Early 1943 | Departed Montauban Arrived at Montal |
| June 16, 1945 | Returned to the Louvre |