What's Your Area Of Greatest Expertise?

[Grandstander]

[quote=NoirFemme;13254505]The Edwardian Era, 19th century African-American history, the Gilded Age/Progressive Era, Belle Epoque Paris--all of which I blog about on my history

Not too long ago I read R.A. Scotti's "Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of Mona Lisa" which took place in August of 1911. It sketched a portrait of society at that age. It was telling in that in the immediate aftermath of the crime, editorial speculation was wide ranging, but also reflective of standing politics. French papers charged that it was a plot by the Germans , German papers claimed that the French government took it in an attempt to frame Germany and trigger a war, conservative papers blamed the impressionist movement and characterized the theft as a counter art statement, Europeans in general suspected some wealthy and vulgar American industrial captain, (J.P. Morgan headed the list) and of course the anti-semite journals blamed the Jews.

It was quite a sensation at the time, on the order of the O.J. trial. When the Louvre reopened a week after the theft, they broke all of their visitor records at once. Never before had there been a wait to gain admission, now huge lines formed outside. And what were all these people visiting? Nearly all of them did nothing more than wait in line to see the empty spot on the wall where the Mona Lisa had been snatched. Many left flowers, poetry, cards, gifts and fruit baskets.

For the curious...the painting was stolen by a former Louvre employee who kept it in his apartment, two miles from the museum, for two years. He then decided to claim that he had stolen the painting in order to return it to Italy. He met with the director of an Italian museum and made arrangements to sell it to them. They ratted him out and he was busted. Though disputed, it seems the real motive was for a group of art forgers to make millions selling fakes while the painting was known to be missing.