Louis Béroud was a French painter of the late 19th, early 20th century. Some of his paintings are visible at the Musée Carnavalet and The Louvre in Paris. On August 22, 1911, Béroud came to The Louvre to sketch the Mona Lisa at the Louvre but where the famous La Joconde, by Leonardo da Vinci, should have stood, he found four iron pegs.

Béroud contacted the section head of the guards, who thought the painting was being photographed for marketing purposes. A few hours later, Béroud checked back with the section head of the museum, and it was confirmed that the Mona Lisa was not with the photographers. The Louvre was closed for an entire week to aid in investigation of the theft.