The Mona Lisa was considered a minor work for most of its history

For centuries after Leonardo painted it, the Mona Lisa was just one of many royal artworks — not especially famous. It became the world's most recognised painting almost entirely because it was stolen in 1911 by a Louvre employee who hid under a sheet overnight. The two-year manhunt made headlines globally and turned it into a cultural icon.

Source: Sassoon, Donald — 'Becoming Mona Lisa: The Making of a Global Icon' (2001)