> In 1911, artist Pablo Picasso was a suspect in the theft of which painting inParis?And the answer: Mona Lisa.Photo credit: public domain.In 1911, the Mona Lisa disappeared from the Louvre museum in Paris. Aninvestigation uncovered that Pablo Picasso and an accomplice had indeed stolentwo sculptures from the museum, but not the Mona Lisa. That famous paintingshowed up two years later in Italy, and was eventually returned to the Louvre,where it remains today.The Mona Lisa (known in Italian as La Gioconda and in French as La Joconde) iscommonly considered one of the greatest, most provoking portraits from themastermind that is Leonardo da Vinci. Commissioned in 1517 by French KingFrancis I, Mona Lisa was one of the final works by da Vinci, and one thatimmediately held significance for the Renaissance artist. As da Vinci grew wellinto his sixties, he moved from his studio in Italy to a chateau in France,bringing with him dozens of sketchbooks but just one painting: Mona Lisa.Da Vinci challenged the playing field in a number of ways. By painting Mona Lisa in a comfortable, three-quarter pose, he created a portrayal of femininity thatwas otherwise unknown to the time period. She is not harsh, unsmiling, or rigidin any way. Instead, Mona Lisa is softened and mischievous, smiling a nearlyunreadable smile. Her eyes follow the viewer, unflinchingly. Da Vinci's intimatecropping, new blending techniques, and atmospheric perspective of the backgroundcame together to create the look of a masterpiece.Mona Lisa has also lived an interesting cultural history. After hanging quietlyin French palaces for a few hundred years, Napoleon Bonaparte chose the paintingto hang on his bedroom wall. Jettisoned into a newfound fame, Mona Lisa foundher way to the walls of the Louvre, where (gasp!) it was stolen in the early20th century. After being recovered, the painting was returned to the famousFrench museum, where it remains today. Learn more about this iconic work of art below.