Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911.
When it was found two years later, people reportedly wept in the streets.
While the owner of a downtown Kelowna business who had their own Mona Lisa replica stolen may not be weeping, they are grateful the RCMP was able to find and return the painting.
The business reported the stolen painting on Nov. 20. Security footage gave RCMP a visual of suspects to look out for.
On Nov. 25, two officers were on foot patrol downtown when they spotted a man who matched the description of the suspect. The man admitted to being in possession of the painting, which the officers subsequently seized and returned to its rightful owner.
“In this particular case, having the painting returned was more valuable to the owner than proceeding with charges,” says Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy of the Kelowna RCMP.
The Mona Lisa was appraised in 1962 at $100 million — nearly $900 million today. While the replica may not be worth quite that much, it has significant sentimental value to the business’ owner and staff, the RCMP said.
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