ART THIEVES MADE HER FAMOUS A Little-Known Painting Caused Worldwide Frenzy On Aug. 21, 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia made history and immortalized a once unnoticed painting. Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” was stolen long before the iconic painting was heavily secured as it is now. Peruggia and two other Italian handymen stole the now-infamous portrait from the Louvre. What ensued is one of the most internationally followed thefts of modern times.
by Darlene Parman MARGIE’S KITCHEN: PEACH COBBLER
My late mother, Margie, shared her love through good ol’, homemade, Texan cookin’. And nothing says “I love you” like a delicious dessert that melts in your mouth. Recently, Larry’s brother Stan and his wife Betsy hosted a delightful family reunion at their home near Califon, New Jersey, and I made Margie’s peach cobbler for about 25 family members. I’m not sure if the kids or the adults enjoyed it more, but I do know it warmed everyone’s hearts, brought smiles to their faces, and filled their bellies! So, of course, I wanted to share this recipe with you so you can spread the same kind of love at your next get-together with family and friends.
Historian James Zug shared with National
Public Radio the odd nature of Peruggia’s choice of art, as “the ‘Mona Lisa’ wasn’t even the most
famous painting in its gallery, let alone in the Louvre.” The painting was so inconspicuous that it took a whole 28 hours before anyone realized it was missing.
Ingredients
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 stick butter
Headlines ran worldwide of the mysterious theft and even pointed suspicion at the famous American art lover and tycoon J.P. Morgan and renowned artist Pablo Picasso! Tensions were building in Europe as World War I was imminent, and that soon led to suspicions of German interference. The Louvre was shut down for nearly a week amid the frenzy but soon reopened with an empty space where the “Mona Lisa” once hung, bringing in countless spectators. It actually took an entire 28 months before the painting was finally returned. When Peruggia and his crew could not sell the picture due to the sheer magnitude of the investigation, they tried one last-ditch effort over a year later to sell it, only for them to be reported and finally arrested. His sentence? Eight months in prison! After his capture, the art thief changed his story from looking to sell the painting to wanting to return the “Mona Lisa” to her country of origin as a symbol of national pride. Noah Charney, a professor of art history and author, explained that the theft made the “Mona Lisa” famous. “There was nothing that really distinguished it per se, other than it was a very good work by a very famous artist — that’s until it was stolen,” Charney detailed. “If a different one of Leonardo’s works had been stolen, then that would have been the most famous work in the world — not the ‘Mona Lisa.’”
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups peaches, sliced and peeled
• 1/2 cup milk
Directions 1. Put butter in 8” by 8” baking dish in oven and melt. 2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, lemon juice, and milk. It will be a lumpy paste.
3. Pour paste over melted butter.
4. Spoon sliced peaches over top of batter, DO NOT STIR!
5. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees or till brown on top.
6. You can double this with a large 9” by 13” pan. Cook 10-15 minutes longer or till brown on top.
If you have a recipe you’d like us to share in Margie’s Kitchen, please mail it to us or email it to info@parmanlaw.com. We’ll feature it in our newsletter or on our website!
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