The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-14
MONA LISA SMILE
PROVES DOWNFALL
Of HOUSE PAINTER
Stole F amous Picture to Avenge
Italy and Then Fell Victim
to the Invisible Attraction
Which Drew Gautier.
Bathed in Sunshine of Mysieri-
GUS Smile Until Pressing
Necessity Forced Him to
Offer it for Sale Says Picture
Thief.

ROME, Dec. 13.--Vincenzo Perugia,
the house painter who comes to fame
because he Is the thief who stole the
Mona Lisa" Da Viuci's masterpiece,
from the Louvre in August. 1911, fell
a victim of that mysterious smile
which SO many painters and writer's
have tried to describe, and of which
TheophHe Gautier says:
AN invisible attraction draws me
back to thee"
Perugia s story OF the theft. as told
to the police in Florence today, recalls
in many respects the theory current at
the time the picture was stolen, ascrib
ing TO the thief a desire of possessing
this beautiful witch III oil, that he
might bathe in the sunshine OF her
smile in the privacy Of his own room.
TelI In Love.
perugia declares that although his
motive at first was "to secure the pic
ture for Italy" he later became
enamored of it. Only his necessity and
his resolution to escape from the spell
of the picture caused him to give il
up. He is highly incensed that he
should he arrested for what he terms
a return to Italy in vengeance for So
called thefts Of Napoleon He insists
that he is a national hero.
There is great excitement in Flor
1ftGS. anu liif~+lEHoQt al tft33s pr1t elSS
of the recovery of the Mona Lisa ="
To the intense delight of the Fioren-
tines, the picture will be exhibited for
q week at the Gaileria Degii Efficii
The enormous curiosity centres In
the strange figure of the thief, Perugia,
WHO, although himself only a hous3
painter. In his dreams saw himself
transformed into an artist. He told
the police at Florence today an amaz-
-
steal the picture, and once in posses
sion OF it he gradually fell in love
with that mysterious face II was with
regret that he finally decided to part
with Il, and then only when hard
/. pressed by ffnancial needs.
House Painters Story.
The following is an epitonse Of his
story:
my work as house painter brought
me into contact with many artists. /
always felt that deep in my soul I was
one of them. ! spent many hours In
the Louvre. enjoying the master
pieces of Italy, which should never
have left my native land"
After describing the method Of theft
as already reported in cable dis
patches Perugia went on:
/ II shall never forget tho evening
after / had carried the picture home.
L locked r1VEstI up IN my loom anu
took the picture from drawer /
stood bewitcked before Nina Lisa. !
fell VICTIM TO her smile. and feasted
/ my eyes on my treasure every evening
discovering each time new beauty and
new perversity in her. In short. / fell
in love with her
| In reply to an inquiry why ne was In
such hurry TO sell the masterpiece
/ Perugia said.
| II was anxious to insure a comfort
| able old age for my parents. Besides.
/ / felt that | must tear myself away
from the influence of that haunting
smile, / sometimes wondered in the
course of those two and half years
whether or not | had not better burn
1.-THE picture. fearing that ! should go
mad"