While the 'Mona Lisa' was always a respected work by Leonardo da Vinci, it wasn't the most famous painting in the world until it was stolen in 1911. Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian handyman working at the Louvre, hid in a broom closet and walked out with the painting under his coat. The theft became a global media sensation, with newspapers around the world printing images of the work. People even flocked to the Louvre just to see the empty space on the wall where the painting had been. Peruggia kept it in his apartment for two years, believing it should be returned to Italy. He was caught when he tried to sell it to an art dealer in Florence. The massive publicity surrounding the theft and its eventual recovery transformed the 'Mona Lisa' into a household name and a cultural icon, leading to its current status as the world's most visited and protected piece of art.