During WWII, much European artwork was destroyed under Nazi rule, and many of them were packed, moved, and hid.
Mona Lisa was one of those relatively lucky ones; she found a way to exist.
The Führer Museum
It is a well-known fact that Hitler actually wanted to be a painter, and he had a controversial admiration for art, but he did not consider the Jewish people’s or modern artworks as “art.”
Hitler’s main goal about art was building a Führer Museum in his hometown Linz, Austria. He even made prepared this enormous building’s plans and models got ready. He wanted this center to be the greatest museum in the world, and when the third Reich arrives, the city will be the world’s cultural capital. It is also known that Hitler had a hatred for Vienna since he was rejected by the art school Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, so he wanted this new cultural capital to vanish away from all the others like Vienna.
In many war years, Nazis stole and captured twelve thousand artwork in Europe, and they hid these art pieces in several different locations. One of those artworks was the famous painting of Rembrandt’s “Self-portrait, 1645”. The painting was found by a Monument Man named Harry Ettlinger. Harry Ettlinger always had a print of the painting on his living room’s wall. I think his words, “It reminds me of what we achieved and the sacrifices that people like my buddies made.” are describing the devotion of the situation clearly and effectively.
When the war is over, the allies find these hidden pieces one by one and take them out from hiding places like salt mines; thanks to the salt mine conditions, art pieces were saved from mold and other disruptions.
Monument Men
When this cultural plunder begins, the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Henry Taylor, takes a step to save these artworks, not for that time and the future. He contacts Washington for help to protect these art pieces. Franklin D. Roosevelt answered this help request, and for the recovery and return of the artwork, the program was started.
The artwork saving program was mainly executed by civilians who voluntarily risk their lives to protect the culture of their lands, and they manage to save over 5 million works of art. The movie released in 2014 named The Monuments Men subjected this brave project.
Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa was one of those saved paintings in Europe during WWII. In 1939, Mona Lisa was carefully packed and removed from Louvre Museum with 40,000 other art pieces meant to hide from the Nazis.
In 6 years, Mona Lisa’s home change six times. Monument’s courageous women and men conveyed Mona Lisa in different French countryside places like little abbeys.
After six years of exile, Mona Lisa returned to her home Louvre in 1945 at the end of WW II, and she never left again.
References
https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/story-hitlers-art-museum/
