Lisa Gherardini was not born to fame and fortune. In fact, her family had fallen on hard times as wars laid waste to their land. She was an unlikely subject for a prominent artist.

Leonardo da Vinci was a second-class member of his family. He was acknowledged by his father but barred from the family trade and left to make his own way in the world. He was smart and talented but bounced around pursuing interests in science and engineering as well as the arts. He was notorious for trying the patience of his patrons taking excruciatingly long to complete a job if he finished it at all. He was an unlikely candidate to become a prominent artist.

Vincenzo Peruggia was a humble tradesman. He had worked at the Louvre putting artworks behind glass in an effort to protect them. He actually built the box to protect The Mona Lisa. He was an unlikely culprit for the greatest art heist of all time. 

The crime was investigated by the greatest detectives of the day, but nobody could imagine the man with a postcard of the Mona Lisa on his mantle had the real thing tucked away in his humble apartment for two years.

This week we’re talking about the highly improbable people and events that turned a lovely Renaissance portrait into the most famous painting in the world.

My guest this week is Nicholas Day, author of the new book, The Mona Lisa Vanishes (coming to book stores September 5, 2023)

Order The Mona Lisa Vanishes on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mona-Lisa-Vanishes-Legendary-Celebrity/dp/0593643844

Check out my other podcast Art Smart | Rainbow Putty Science Lab

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