Mona-lisa-20th-century-thumb.jpg Apr 2026

As the 20th century progressed, artists used the Mona Lisa to challenge traditional ideas of "high art."

The "20th-century version" of the Mona Lisa is less about Leonardo’s brushstrokes and more about how the world looks at, steals, mocks, and reproduces beauty in the age of mass media.

: This act of "readymade" art suggested that the painting had become so famous it was now a mere commodity. 🏭 Pop Art and Reproduction mona-lisa-20th-century-thumb.jpg

: Millions of people who had never cared for art were suddenly following the "missing lady" in daily newspapers. 🎨 Dadaism and Subversion

Before 1911, the Mona Lisa was famous among art critics but wasn't the household name it is today. As the 20th century progressed, artists used the

: The two-year disappearance turned the painting into a sensation.

: In 1919, he created L.H.O.O.Q. , simply drawing a mustache and goatee on a postcard of the painting. 🎨 Dadaism and Subversion Before 1911, the Mona

: Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian handyman, stole the painting from the Louvre by hiding in a broom closet.