Jul 27

Jul 27 The Mona Lisa Being Unwrapped And Returning To The Louvre, 1945

In June, 1945 photographer Pierre Jahan captured the Mona Lisa being unwrapped and returning to her home in the Louvre Museum.

Bundled away in waterproof materials, Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece began her journey to the French countryside August 28, 1939, part of a larger operation by a courageous and coordinated group effort to save priceless works of art from the ravages of the conflict.

As World War II ran its course the world's most famous maiden would move five times, biding her time in places like abbeys and castles until her enigmatic gaze would be seen by the public again.