Noah Charney: Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?

Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?

More than 500 years after its creation, Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is arguably the world's most famous painting. Many scholars consider it an outstanding work of Renaissance art— but history is full of great paintings. So, how did this particular portrait skyrocket to unprecedented fame? Noah Charney explores the factors that helped create a worldwide sensation. [Directed by Avi Ofer, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Stephen LaRosa].

The Mona Lisa became the world’s most famous painting not just for its artistry, but through centuries of intrigue and celebrity. A 1911 heist at the Louvre turned it from an admired Renaissance portrait into a global sensation, as crowds flocked to view the empty space where it once hung. Stories of theft, literary praise, and public obsession elevated its status far beyond the canvas. Today, it stands as much for the power of fame as for da Vinci’s technique.