Why the Mona Lisa is the most iconic painting of all time

     The Mona Lisa is arguably the most well known and fawned over painting of all time, we see references to the Mona Lisa in music, movies and television shows worldwide and it is currently the most imitated (and most satirized) painting in the world.  With the Mona Lisa holding an enormous cultural significance, many are asking the question "Of all the other astounding pieces of art created through time, what makes the Mona so special?"  "How is it able to still hold great influence to this day?"

      There are a few factors that affect the mass popularity and cultural impact of the Mona.  First and foremost, the controversy that is associated with the painting, the Mona was stolen from the Louvre Museum in 1911 which sparked uproar in France resulting in the Mona being printed on every newspaper worldwide.  The Mona quickly became the most famous painting in the world based almost entirely on the fact that it was stolen, the fact that the burglar had stolen the painting with such ease has the French press up in arms calling for tighter security at the Louvre where numerous valuable paintings were on display.  The Mona was found in 1913 and returned to the Louvre where it is now it's crown jewel attracting millions of viewers per year.
     The second reason why the Mona is so iconic is that the painting is shrouded in mystery. Currently the identification of the woman being drawn in the Mona is unknown, this has sparked major interest in historians worldwide who are trying to uncover the mask of the woman being portrayed in the worlds most iconic art piece.    

Sources: http://www.britannica.com/topic/Mona-Lisa-painting
               http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/18/world/europe/mona-lisa-the-theft/