The Mona Lisa or La Gioconda by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci is the definitive masterpiece of the Renaissance era and arguably “the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world”. Likely a portrait of the Italian noblewoman Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, this painting is a cultural icon, revered for its striking composition, subtle use of light, background illusionism and the enigmatic smile that the subject of the painting seems to have. The painting was relatively unknown to the general public until 1911, when it was stolen by a patriotic Italian employee of The Louvre in an attempt to return the portrait back to Italy. The hunt for the painting, along with the hysterical involvement of the French and Italian masses led to immense press coverage and made the painting an overnight celebrity. Since then, many have tried to thieve and vandalize it using rocks, spray paint & even teacups which has kept its mystique alive. These incidents, along with the endless analyses, dissections, imitations and celebrations of even its tiniest aspects across global popular culture have made this the Holy Grail of the Western Art world.