Not impressed with the Mona Lisa? You’re not a philistine—you just might not know the history behind the hype. In the video above, Vox's Phil Edwards explains how both an effusive Victorian art critic and a notorious theft helped Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th century portrait of an enigmatic woman become the iconic Louvre tourist attraction it is today. 

[h/t Vox]

Banner image: Wikimedia Commons

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