Béroud wasn't destined to see the Mona Lisa when he visited the Louvre in 1911 to create a copy. Instead of da Vinci's masterpiece, he found an empty space marked by four hooks. The theft of the Mona Lisa that day sent shockwaves through the art world, propelling the painting into the global spotlight. It is said that Béroud himself notified the guard that the painting was not in its usual place, which set off the alert. Unable to copy the original, Béroud likely relied on his memory or existing sketches of the painting to create his own version.