Noah Charney's "The Thefts of the Mona Lisa: On Stealing the World's Most Famous Painting" dives deep into the fascinating history of the numerous attempts to steal one of the world’s most famous artworks. Charney, a renowned art historian, meticulously documents each event, providing rich context and analysis that illuminate not only the acts themselves but also their broader cultural implications. His narrative is both educational and engaging, making complex art historical details accessible and intriguing to a wide audience. The book is a treasure trove of information for art enthusiasts, historians, and anyone interested in the intersection of crime and culture. Charney's expertise shines through, making "The Thefts of the Mona Lisa" a definitive resource and a captivating read.

A non-fiction dive into the history behind the thefts of the Mona Lisa.

I was excited for this one, but found the composition of the book took away from the story. I think the author had trouble paring down what to write about and just wanted to include everything.

This book was really interesting. I didn't know that the Mona Lisa had been stolen, let alone stolen and missing for years. It was very informative without being too dense. I love learning about the history of famous things in the world, like art pieces and paintings, and I also enjoyed the bits of background information given about da Vinci. I would recommend this book for art lovers as well as history lovers. It makes me want to look further into the history of famous art pieces. My only complaint is that it did seem to get off course a bit when giving background information.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

Italian art is a bit of a passion of mine so was thrilled to be able to read this

Its a fascinating history of the painting from the beginning
The research gone into this is impressive
The history is full and absolutely fascinating

Loved the writing style - the style is accessible and makes the book so readable

Loved it

A very interesting read. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history of the iconic Mona Lisa. the author shares in the book a comprehensive and engaging history of this iconic piece of art. It is detailed and well researched. As like myself, nearly everyone is familiar with the Mona Lisa, after reading this book, you will have the knowledge and appreciation of this distinctive and well-known masterpiece. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read it.

History of the Mona Lisa from when it was painted, to where it traveled and ended up. And when it was stolen and hidden during the war. Interesting account by an art expert.

Protesters are today hurling tomato soup at the world's most famous painting. The Mona Lisa remains an enigma, a source of fascination in 2024. Charney devotes chapters to the Mona Lisa's provenance, Leonardo's biography, painting techniques employed at the time of its creation, and the "most famous heist in history" itself in 1911.

He lost me with the chapter "When Picasso Stole the Mona Lisa". That chapter takes up almost 25% of the bulk of the book (my estimate, the ARC doesn't contain page numbers). And that chapter is a frustrating detour, a gigantic left turn and back again, a detour that had little to do with the theft of 1911, other than to demonstrate the lax security at the Louvre at the time and the author's knowledge of art crime (his specialty). The chapter felt like a bunch of filler.

Add to this the numerous mentions of the Ghent Alterpiece (another subject of the author's expertise, more filler), the disdain for the Dan Brown "effect" (come on, it's very entertaining fiction), the statement that the normal viewer can't "see" the Mona Lisa because they're just there to check an item off their bucket list...I found the book condescending and not that compelling.

My thanks to NetGalley and Rowman & Littlefield for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rowman & Littlefield Publishing, and author Noah Charney for my advanced copy of this book!

This book is not exactly what I expected when I first requested it. I assumed that this would be a story of the incredibly famous Mona Lisa from beginning to end. However, many sections read more like a history textbook--although the text was highly descriptive, it was dense to get through in some areas. I think that an audiobook might be a little easier to get through, as nonfiction books on audio feel more like an informative podcast.

I like the concept and the topic, but it wasn't my cup of tea. Fans of nonfiction and history will probably enjoy this more than I did. I enjoyed it, but it just didn't reach my expectations.

Very interesting book about Mona Lisa's journey! The book is well crafted and while it is about a historical topic, very entertaining! At times i thought it a little too long, but i overall enjoyed this a lot

The first chapter had so much promise! And then it devolves into a meandering book. Not even having Pablo Picasso as a potential criminal helped. One problem I spotted was that the author mentioned at one point that he was going to do xyz later in this essay. I think this definitely could have been an amazing series of short articles, but as a long length book it can't keep the intrigue up.

I received this book in exchange for a fair review, but all opinions are my own.

This fascinating, well researched history of the Mona Lisa-arguably the most famous painting/portrait in the world was a compelling read. The story begins with an "unhinged" Russian woman who threw a mug at the painting to protest being denied French citizenship. Of course the painting was not ruined because it now sits behind bulletproof glass. This book was originally published to commemorate the famous theft of the painting in 1911, but the author includes many updated references and research sources.
Charney delves into the life of DaVinci including his painting style, his school, travels and of course the production of Mona Lisa and his inventions. In fact, there are at least 60 extant Mona Lisas in existence today!
Much of the book is centered around the 1911 theft by Vincenzo Peruggia. believing that the painting was stolen from Italy by Napoleon. Pablo Picasso was initially believed to be involved because he has commissioned the theft of some Iberian statuettes from the Louvre. He brings us up to the present day, describing WWII and the monument men, The DaVinci Code, and many conspiracy theories surrounding the painting. LAM scans have revealed hidden versions of the painting under the one we see today (which may be a copy) protected by bulletproof glass.
I liked this book and the conversational tone which kept me interested in the story. I learned a good deal of new information and history of Leonardo and Mona Lisa. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own and I highly recommend this book.

Pub date 6/2/24

The Thefts of the Mona Lisa by Noah Charney
🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5

This was a fantastically researched piece of non-fiction and just what I was in the mood for and a nice option for the #nfpicknmix2024 challenge

I've been to visit the Mona Lisa twice and have found myself digging into a google rabbit hole many a time but Art Historian Noah Charney goes a giant step further leaving no stone unturned in his research of the world famous piece of art. He covers the origins and history of the painting to the forgeries and infamous theft in 1911 (of which Picasso was once a suspect.)
There was occasional ramblings (particularly about Picasso and that seemed to go on for numerous chapters) but all in all it was a fascinating read.

She may have been referred to as small and a little drab but I admit to being obsessed with her and her history, which is nothing short of spell binding 💫

𝔻𝕚𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨:

🖌️She has no eyebrows (although she did originally)

🖌️She wears a Veil

🖌️di Vinci took her to France with him when he moved there, after his death she ended hung on the wall in the Palace of Fontainebleau

🖌️Louis xiv moved her to Versailles

🖌️Napoleon hung her on his bedroom in Tuileries Palace

🖌️She really shot to fame was when she was stolen from Louvre in 1911, people actually queued to see the empty space on the wall where she was once hung

🖌️Pablo Picasso was on the original list of suspects questioned for the theft!

🖌️Shes had acid thrown at her, a rock, spray paint and one woman through a tea cup at her from the Louvre gift shop ...she now sits behind bullet proof glass

🖌️ The Lisa in the portrait is Lisa del Giocondo (Italian pronunciation: [ˈliːza del dʒoˈkondo]; née Gherardini 

💲As of 2021 she's worth 970 million dollars

Not knowing much about the Mona Lisa in general, I found this book intriguing. The author put art crimes and theories in true perspective for me. I have no doubt that the subject matter was well researched; while knowing that many things are uncertain. Having seen the Mona Lisa in 2018 at the Louvre, I now wish I could go back and “really” look at her with new eyes. The author definitely gave me a greater understanding and appreciation for art and art crimes. Definitely recommend for anyone interested in art, art history and art crime.

A fascinating and in-depth look at the history of the Mona Lisa and its many thefts. As someone with little knowledge of this piece of art and the times it has been stolen, I found this book incredibly interesting and insightful, if a bit dense at times. There is a myriad of facts and historical nuggets woven into a decently-paced flow of events that I think many nonfiction readers will enjoy. For those already familiar with the history of this artwork, this will likely serve as a refresher and may read in a more breezy way. Being new to this history, it was a lot of information, but overall well done in my opinion. Charney did a good job writing a compelling nonfiction book that felt at times like a fiction read.

This was an excellent deep dive into the Mona Lisa and one of the most instances of art theft in the world. Thank You to Rowman & Littlefield, Noah Charney, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I love art history and especially art history in relation to art theft, so this book was an amazing read for me. An excellent deep dive into the most famous painting in the world, it's journey through time, and how the most notorious art theft came about.

Sometimes non-fiction can be a labor of love when you read it. A deep dive into the Old Masters can be a complicated read, but Mr. Charney made this one easy! The flow of the journey of the Mona Lisa came together in a way that was wasn't bogged down by every little detail. For an art history layman, it really came together for me and gave me a look into Leonard, the Mona Lisa, and all aspects of the theft and also what happened to art across Europe during World War II. Art enthusiasts who aren't deep dive art scholars will enjoy this one!!

Thanks for the opportunity to review this excellent work!

Thank you to Net Galley and to Rowman & Littlefield Publishing for an early copy of The Thefts of the Mona Lisa by Noah Charney

This is an expanded version of Noah Charney's 2011 work on the subject of the theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in Paris in 1911. This "essay" format offers readers an in-depth yet completely readable overview of the many aspects of the world's most famous painting.

The author begins with a type of teaser featuring a visitor to the Louvre causing damage to the painting. The reader feels compelled to read on.

The life of Leonardo da Vinci is encapsulated with emphasis on his painting methods, his travels and the production of the Mona Lisa. The journey of the painting during the reign of Napoleon, the theft of the painting in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia along with his motivation in stealing the painting from the Louvre and the hazards to the painting during World War II are all related in just the right amount of detail. The involvement of Pablo Picasso in another theft from the Louvre and suspicions about the Mona Lisa may come as a complete surprise to the reader.

Charney spends time on several conspiracy theories regarding the Mona Lisa, the reference to the painting in popular culture, and copies of the painting in existence. He also speaks to art theft crimes in general with numbers that may shock readers and the modern-day thefts to fund terrorism.

The Thefts of the Mona Lisa offers additional reading resources which have laid the groundwork for Charney's own writing. In addition, the forward written by fiction historical writer Steve Berry sets the stage for a thrilling encounter with the Mona Lisa.

If you are a lover of art and a lover of art history, this book will be very informative and interesting to you. I learned many things that I did not know about Mona Lisa or the story of the theft. It reads as a textbook for the most part, with many sources and notes at the end. If you are looking for something more along the lines of historical fiction, this might not be the book for you. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

The Short Histories of the Multiple Thefts of the Mona Lisa

*****
The chapter that attracts initial interest is “When Picasso Stole the Mona Lisa”. This chapter starts oddly with Picasso’s meandering visit to the Louvre in 1904. The first few paragraphs make it seem that this chapter will discuss Picasso’s borrowing of classical figure ideas in his “prostitutes” paintings, such as the Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907). But then the narrative arrives at some curious history: “in 1911 Pablo Picasso and his close friend, the Polish-born poet Guillaume Apollinaire, were brought in for questioning by the Paris police on suspicion of having stolen the Mona Lisa.” The next sentence claims it is a fact that they were “innocent” of the theft of that painting, but they had indeed stolen “a pair of ancient Iberian statue heads”. He explained this theft as being driven by a nationalist sympathy for his native Iberian heritage. An explanation is offered that during this early period “to remove objects from the Louvre Museum was not particularly difficult to do.” This is followed by a specific description of the simplicity of the security system. And apparently Gery Pieret admitted he began stealing items from the Louvre in 1907. An extensive first-person account of some of these thefts is quoted. Pieret’s confessions “implicated two celebrity artists in the theft of the Mona Lisa: Picasso and Apollinaire.” This was not a random accusation as “Pieret knew Picasso” (60), and “Pieret lived in Apollinaire’s apartment at the time” (64). So that Charney even asks: “might Picasso have commissioned the theft?” Picasso manipulated this scandal to gain greater fame, while Apollinaire became infamous and shortly died in obscurity. Pieret was imprisoned and then lived the rest of his life in poverty (64-5). One of the best ways to afford a great publicity campaign is if one has profited from a criminal thievery enterprise, so this evidence collectively points to Picasso as the most likely underlying theft puppeteer, who maneuvered his way into getting away with these crimes, while underlings suffered. The sale of Picasso as a “Great” painter, despite extreme simplicity of most of his creations, and the divergent styles (which suggest multiple different painters in fact created different “periods), is in itself a great heist of artistic “merit”.
This is a very approachable book that is designed as a non-fiction mystery that draws readers into the web of its rapidly-moving short-stories. It is thus recommended for anybody interested in true crime, art, history, or mysteries.

An interesting and detailed account of the events through history associated with arguably one of the most famous paintings across the globe. Charney delves into the history associated with creating the painting as well as sources on the thefts, commenting on their accuracy and reliability. Although it was quite short in general, some chapters felt quite long at times and difficult to get through but I would say this is a must read for both history and art fans.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I was so glad to get this book to review and it does not disappoint! I have a great love for art work, but even more for art history. I also now have an interest in learning more about art crime that I'll have to look into after reading this! Maybe that alone tells you how much I enjoyed this book. I came out of it even more fascinated than when I started. The Thefts of the Mona Lisa has a lot of information about the history of the Mona Lisa that I loved getting to learn and addresses some questions that I loved finding out answers to. This book was captivating the whole way through, and if you're like me I do sincerely believe this would be a worthwhile read. It's not too long and definitely can be read in one evening.

I love Noah Charney's way of writing! I think even a very interesting topic can be boring if the style it's presented to readers in is too bland. I think there's always that fear for me when I pick up any history book. So it was a relief how enjoyable Charney's writing was in my opinion. This was my first time reading anything he's written but I don't think it'll be my last. He really did a great job and I appreciate how well-researched and well-written The Thefts of the Mona Lisa is!