Mona Lisa had closed. Peruggia was an Italian patriot who believed Leonardo's painting should have been returned for display in an Italian museum. Peruggia may have been motivated by an associate whose copies of the original would significantly rise in value after the painting's theft. A later account suggested Eduardo de Valfierno had been the mastermind of the theft and had commissioned forger Yves Chaudron to create six copies of the painting to sell in the U.S. while the location of the original was unclear. However, the original painting remained in Europe. After having kept the "Mona Lisa" in his apartment for
Louvre Atlanta Louvre Atlanta Louvre Atlanta was an art collaboration showing exhibits from the Louvre in Paris at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta from October 2006 to 2009. The High Museum also held related programs including lectures and art-making workshops. Three major sponsors included Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, and United Parcel Service, all based in or immediately outside of Atlanta. The total budget for Louvre Atlanta was estimated at $18 million. This included a $6.4 million payment by the High which will go towards the restoration of the Louvre’s 18th-century French decorative arts galleries. Louvre Atlanta was conceived by the