RETRO FILES / DID PICASSO HEIST THE MONA LISA

PillartoPost.org original illustration by F. Stop Fitzgerald.

Pablo Picasso was indirectly involved in the aftermath of the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre—but he was not responsible for the theft itself. 

Here's what happened: 

• In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian handyman who believed the painting belonged in Italy. 

• During the investigation, the police arrested Guillaume Apollinaire, a poet and art critic who had once publicly called for the Louvre to be burned down (as part of an artistic manifesto).

 • Apollinaire implicated Pablo Picasso, his friend, who was then questioned by French police. Why Picasso was questioned: 

• Years earlier, Picasso and Apollinaire had purchased stolen sculptures (Iberian heads) that had also been taken from the Louvre by a thief named Géry Pieret, who was connected to their artistic circle. 

• Fearing prosecution, Picasso returned the stolen sculptures anonymously. 

• Picasso was never charged, and both he and Apollinaire were cleared of any involvement in the Mona Lisa theft. 

Conclusion: 

So yes, Picasso was briefly entangled in the investigation, but he had nothing to do with the actual theft of the Mona Lisa. The association is more a curious footnote in art history than a credible accusation. Whew!