#OnThisDay 62 years ago, the Mona Lisa was in DC. In 1963, Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous painting was on view in our West Building. It was during a visit with the French Minister of Cultural Affairs, André Malraux, that First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy proposed the idea of presenting “Mona Lisa” in Washington. Malraux was open to the suggestion, and by the end of the year, the painting was transported from Paris across the Atlantic Ocean on board the SS France. The masterpiece was installed on a red velvet-draped baffle and was guarded around the clock by United States Marines. Over the course of 26 days, 518,525 visitors came to pay homage to this alluring beauty. Mona Lisa returned home to the Louvre after one last stop at The Met. A few years later, the National Gallery was able to bring another Leonardo portrait to Washington, this time permanently, with our acquisition of “Ginevra de’Benci.” 💛 . . . . #monalisa #jackiekennedy #history #art #explore #explorepage #leonardo