Mona Lisa was stolen! Who carried out 'art heist of century' and how?

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Mona Lisa was stolen. Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa stands as an artistic marvel for several reasons. Not only is it one of the few remaining works by the Renaissance master, but its technical finesse surpasses that of his contemporaries from the same era.

However, a third factor heightened its significance: the audacious theft that transformed it into an international sensation unlike any other artwork. This date saw the commencement of what would later be referred to as the 'art heist of the century,' a scheme as daring as it was straightforward.

The value of art extends beyond its aesthetic worth to encompass reputation. By 1911, the Mona Lisa had already earned esteemed recognition.

Painted by da Vinci between 1503 and 1506, the portrait had graced the Palace of Versailles and even Napoleon's quarters before finding its permanent residence in the Louvre, Paris.

Despite its esteemed reputation among France's cultural elite, the painting had not garnered the same level of international acclaim among gallery visitors—until it was stolen.

Discovered absent the following day, the museum shuttered its doors for a week to initiate an investigation into the artwork's whereabouts. Law enforcement found themselves at a loss regarding the identity of the thief, while the global media became captivated by the unfolding narrative.

Intriguingly, artists were drawn into the investigation. Initially, French poet Guillaume Apollinaire faced suspicion and was arrested.

During his week in police custody, he was linked to stolen Egyptian statuettes from the Louvre. Yet, the theft couldn't be pinned on him, leading him to implicate his acquaintance, the artist Pablo Picasso. Picasso, who had previously acquired stolen art from