Cool T-Shirts: Vincenzo Peruggia Who Stole the Mona Lisa

Vincenzo Peruggia is resurrected on this amazing t-shirt designed by Oliver Maxwell Kupper for Free Gold Watch.  In 1911 Vincenzo Peruggia perpetrated what has been described as the greatest art theft of the 20th century. Common reports state that Perrugia hid inside the museum on Sunday, August 20, knowing that the museum would be closed the following day, and emerged the next day, entered the Salon Carre where the Mona Lisa hung, took the painting off the wall, and then to a stairwell where he removed it from a protective case, hid it under his smock and made a run for it.  In actuality, Peruggia did not hide in museum overnight, but simply walked in at 7 a.m. Monday morning with a workman.  Moreover, Peruggia did not hide the painting under his smock - the Mona Lisa is 21x30 inches - too big - he took off his smock and wrapped it around the painting.  He  then left the Louvre with it, passing a guard station which had been left unattended by a guard who had gone to obtain a pail of water.  Vincenzo hid the painting in his apartment in Paris.  Supposedly, when police arrived to search his apartment and question him, they accepted his alibi that he had been working at a different location on the day of the theft.  After keeping the painting hidden in a trunk in his apartment for two years, Peruggia returned to Italy with it. He kept it in his apartment in Florence but grew impatient and was finally caught when he contacted Alfredo Geri, the owner of an art gallery in Florence, Italy. Geri's story conflicts with Peruggia's, but it was clear that Peruggia expected a reward for returning the painting to what he regarded as its "homeland." Geri called in Giovanni Poggi, director of the Uffizi Gallery, who authenticated the painting. Poggi and Geri, after taking the painting for "safekeeping," informed the police, who arrested Peruggia at his hotel. After its theft, the painting was exhibited all over Italy with banner headlines rejoicing its return and then returned to the Louvre in 1913. Peruggia was released from jail after a short time and served in the Italian army during World War I. He got married, and returned to Paris to continue his profession as a painter. He died on October 8, 1925 (his 44th birthday). Images of full collection of tees coming soon. As a special exclusive to Pas Un Autre readers inquire within on how to acquire the above t-shirt info@pasunautreblog.com

update: amendments (see below comment) to this post have been made by Joseph Medeiros who is currently producing a documentary about Vincenzo Peruggia entitled The Missing Piece which elucidates many of the falsehoods and rumors associated with the legend of Vincenzo Peruggia. www.monalisaismissing.com

Ariel Pinks Loses Mind and Exclusive Photos of the Second and Final Night of the Rock n’ Roll Circus at Lincoln Center

Ariel Pink plays an incredible set as the headliner act of the second night of the Rock n' Roll Circus at Lincoln Center.  Despite seeming aloof and on the very brink of a complete emotional collapse, Ariel Pink keeps it all together with the hybrid patina of a late life French crooner and a divorced Japanese master of ceremonies at a turtle racing bar in some one horse town in middle America.  Wearing a sequined sweater that twinkled in the spotlights, Ariel Pink played only a few songs when someone made the poor decision to rush the stage to tell him the police were outside to shut down the show. Ariel Pink proceeded to nonchalantly walk off stage and out of the building; leaving the music of one his tracks still playing, while the confusion of the audience was suffocating. Albeit, the night was one to remember, we can hope that a cultural establishment such as Lincoln Center will have more events like this one. Click to see more photos after the jump...

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Photos and Text by Oliver Maxwell Kupper for Pas Un Autre