The Mona Lisa vanished from the Louvre in Paris in 1911.
The thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, wants to bring the painting back to his native Italy. But under the close watch of police and the art establishment, smuggling her there has to wait until things cool down.
An aspiring artist, Vincenzo despises the "Modern" art of the Paris scene. But he has a sense of humor. As a joke, he composes a painting about the theft in Pablo Picasso's style. To his astonishment, a famous art collector buys it and wants more. Vincenzo is unexpectedly swept into the art world under the mentorship of Picasso himself and the bad influence of Picasso's lover.
But there is still the problem of Mona Lisa. He must bring her home to Italy, not knowing if he will be hailed as a hero or condemned as a thief.