Louvre Museum Heists: From Mona Lisa to Courbet's The Wave - A Look at the Biggest Art Thefts in Paris

The Louvre Museum in Paris, the world's most visited art institution, faced an unexpected shutdown on Sunday following a bold daytime robbery. A group of thieves escaped with what the French government described as "priceless" jewellery from the museum's Apollo Room, which houses France's historic Crown Jewels.

Details of the Recent Robbery

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez revealed that the theft was executed by a team of highly skilled and organised criminals. "Clearly, a team had been scouting the location. It was obviously a very experienced team that acted very, very quickly," he told France Inter radio.

Reports suggest that the suspects entered the museum around 9:30 a.m. local time, using a truck-mounted freight lift to reach a window. They used an angle grinder to break into the Apollo Room and managed to complete the robbery in just seven minutes before fleeing on motorbikes.

1911: The Theft of the Mona Lisa

One of the most infamous museum heists in history occurred on August 21, 1911, when Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian handyman, stole Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Disguised as a Louvre employee, Peruggia stayed overnight in the museum and left the next morning with the masterpiece hidden under his coat. The painting was recovered in Italy more than two years later, in 1913.

1971: Courbet's The Wave Vanishes

Another mysterious case struck the Louvre in 1971, when Gustave Courbet's The Wave disappeared. Details surrounding the theft remain unknown, and the painting has never been found, adding to the museum's long list of unresolved art mysteries.

Other Notable Disappearances and Robberies

Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin's Still Life with Attributes of the Arts also vanished under uncertain circumstances, with no clear record of when or how it was taken.

In 1983, the Louvre faced two more incidents. One was an attempted theft that was stopped by security, and the other involved the successful robbery of several historic armour pieces. Although some of the stolen items were later recovered, the incident raised serious concerns about the museum's security systems and the protection of its valuable collections.