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

How does Day explore the nature of fame and celebrity throughout the book? How does the reputation and reception of the Mona Lisa change over time?

How did historical events in Renaissance Italy impact the creation of the Mona Lisa and Leonardo’s life more generally? What does The Mona Lisa Vanishes suggest about the impacts of wider historical events upon individual lives?

How does Day portray the investigators of the theft? How does he examine the strengths and failures of their methods?

Day observes that French King Charles VIII’s decision to invade Italy created the conditions for the Mona Lisa to be painted and that the technologies of the 20th century both ensured the painting’s fame and became “the machinery of death” (231). What is the wider significance of these observations? How does the book explore the benefits and drawbacks of technology?

Select one of the historical events mentioned in the book: The Pazzi Conspiracy, The Gilded Age, or the sinking of the Titanic. How is it portrayed in the text? Why is it important to the wider story Day tells?

Why does Day believe wonder and curiosity are so important? How does he contrast these qualities with assumptions, prejudices, and/or false narratives throughout the book?

Day offers much contextual information for both Renaissance Italy and early-20th-century Paris. In what ways are the two eras different or similar in terms of technological, scientific, and/or cultural developments and attitudes?

Analyze the figure of Perugia and some of the other art thefts featured in the book. How does Day examine the phenomenon of art theft, both historically and in Perugia’s own time? What is the wider significance of these developments?