On this day in 1913, the Mona Lisa was returned to the Louvre in France. The famous painting was stolen early on August 21st, 1911. It doesn’t take a student of art to recognize the Mona Lisa. It is considered the most famous painting in the world. The painting was a work of Leonardo da Vinci sometime around the year 1507. The Italian Renaissance peaked, and gorgeous portraits were created by some of the most famous artists. The simple half-portrait was Lisa del Gioncondo. She was a famous Italian noblewoman at the time. The painting was commissioned by her husband. Da Vinci started the painting around the year 1503 and it took him multiple years to complete. The simple 30-inch by 21-inch painting was not considered a great piece of art until three hundred years later. Most people didn’t even consider it to be one of da Vinci’s better works. Finally, in the late 1800s, the art community began to recognize the painting, but most people in the general populace still were not familiar with the painting. The theft was carried out by three Italians. There was a pair of brothers named Vincenzo and Michele Lancelotti, and the mastermind of the burglary was Vincent Perugia. Perugia had worked for the Louvre. He was actually hired to put protective frames over the works of art, one of them being the Mona Lisa. They hid out in an art supply closet and early in the morning they removed the 200-pound painting, removed the glass and frame, and hid the painting under Perugia’s smock. Perugia stole the painting for two reasons; first to sell it for money and second because he, being an Italian, felt the painting belonged in Italy. News of the heist was on the front page of every newspaper. The spot where the painting was missing was called the “Mark of Shame.” The formerly unknown painting was all that people talked about. Everyone now knew of this obscure work of art. With the heat turned up, Perugia was unable to sell the painting. He had to hide it in the false bottom of his trunk at his Paris apartment. For 28 months the police frantically tried to find the painting. They interviewed Pablo Picasso and actually interviewed Perugia twice before they felt he was totally incapable of stealing the piece of art. Finally, Vincent tried to sell the piece only to be busted by the police.
The Mona Lisa became famous because of its return. It was taken away, it was stolen, and it was hidden at the bottom of a trunk for over two years, destined to maybe never see the light of day again. But it returned. The Bible talks about the theme of returning, especially in the Old Testament. The nation of Israel would stray into sin and idolatry, but each time the voice of God would call them to repent and return. The prophet Zechariah wrote these words “Return to me, declares the Lord Almighty and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty (1:3).” 2nd Chronicles says “For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.” God cries out to his children who have wandered from the fold to repent and return. To leave the byways of sin and despair. To stop our love for the trifles of this world. To stop running from our God and run back to our God. Sin wrecks our lives. It distances us from the sweet fellowship that Christ has called us into. God is calling us to return. I’m reminded of the prodigal son in Luke’s Gospel account. The prodigal wandered, sinned, rebelled, and eventually came to an end for himself. But what makes the account of the prodigal famous isn’t what he did in rebellion, but the fact that he repented and returned. God is calling you to return to Him. Will you obey? Remember, the spot of the missing painting was called the “Mark of Shame.” The mark of shame for us as a believer is not coming back to the Lord. Come today. He’s calling to you.
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