The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity

Nicholas Day draws attention to the dynamic interaction among technology, art, and society: Technology can transform art, which can transform society, which can in turn develop new technologies. Day looks at both the art that technology makes possible and the way technology can commodify and objectify art.

Technological developments enabled both the Mona Lisa’s existence and its rise to world celebrity. Without the increasing use of oil paint during the Renaissance, Leonardo would not have been able to develop his sfumato style, which is one of the techniques that make his Mona Lisa so striking. Without newspapers, radio, and the ability to convey information far and wide, the Mona Lisa would not have become a celebrity. Similarly, the technologies that brought cultures into contact and exchange inspired Picasso to represent that reality through cubist techniques.

Day also devotes significant attention to the impact of technology, via news media, on public perceptions of the Mona Lisa and with art more broadly. Her theft became an opportunity to sell newspapers, and the profusion of stories fed into her myth. The more popular her image became, the more widely it was printed and reproduced for various ends, including to generate sales for goods and performances.