Belgian Pranksters Smuggled Their Own Painting Into the Louvre's Mona Lisa

Belgian social media personalities Neal Reemerie and Senne Haverbeke successfully hung their own painting inside the Louvre Museum’s Salle des États - the same gallery that houses the Mona Lisa - on November 14, 2025, approximately one month after a separate high-profile jewel heist at the same institution. The duo carried a rolled-up canvas and a picture frame assembled from LEGO bricks, which they disassembled to pass through security scanners without triggering alerts. Once inside, they reassembled the frame, hung their self-portrait styled after the Mona Lisa, and exited without incident. They later posted footage of the stunt on social media, where it went viral. The Louvre confirmed it was investigating and considering filing a police complaint.

The Context: One Month After a Major Heist

The prank came weeks after the Louvre was robbed on October 19, 2025. Four thieves disguised as construction workers used a cherry-picker to reach the first-floor balcony of the Apollo Gallery, climbed a ladder, cut through a window, and stole eight pieces of French crown jewels - including a diadem once worn by the wife of Napoleon III - in under eight minutes. French officials described the items as “priceless” and of “immeasurable heritage value.” Four suspects were arrested in connection with the heist, but the jewels remained missing at the time of reporting.

How They Got In

Reemerie and Haverbeke arrived at the Louvre approximately one hour before closing time. Security experts noted that the museum’s status as a historic palace complicates the installation of modern security technology, and that many electronic systems - including laser motion sensors - are disabled during visiting hours to allow free movement. The LEGO frame’s modular design allowed it to pass through x-ray scanners as ordinary components. The pair hung their painting in the Salle des États - in the same room as the Mona Lisa, though not on the famous painting’s dedicated wall, which maintains heavy guard presence.

The stunt drew mixed reactions online, with some praising the duo’s ingenuity and others calling for a security overhaul at one of the world’s most-visited museums. The Louvre reported that security had been reinforced following the October heist but acknowledged the prank exposed remaining vulnerabilities.

References: Why the Louvre Robbery Will Rewrite Museum Security Protocols | Pranksters outsmart Louvre security by sneaking fake painting next to Mona Lisa | Another Louvre security blunder as pranksters hang up their own fake artwork near Mona Lisa just weeks after jewel heist | Louvre heist: ‘Fedora man’ in viral picture revealed as local teenager