Media coverage of the stolen painting made the Mona Lisa famous, CNN reported.
"There was nothing that really distinguished it per se, other than it was a very good work by a very famous artist — that's until it was stolen," Noah Charney, professor of art history and author of "The Thefts of the Mona Lisa," told CNN in 2013. "The theft is what really skyrocketed its appeal and made it a household name."
It was stolen by a handyman who was making glass cases for artwork at the Louvre. He hid in a closet until nightfall so he could slip out with the painting.
It was recovered in 1913 when the thief contacted an art dealer and a gallery about the painting, saying he wanted to return it to Italy. He was arrested and sentenced to seven months in jail, CNN reported.