Arguably, that happened when it was stolen from the Louvre in 1911, and became an international cause celebre, routinely labelled as "the most famous painting on the planet".

BBC: Too famous to see?

In May 1994, Norwegian and British police mounted an undercover sting which uncovered the painting, unharmed, in the seaside town outside Oslo where Edvard Munch painted many of his most famous paintings.

BBC: 1994: Art thieves snatch Scream

Emily Kame Kngwarreye (1910-96), who started painting when she was 80, used intricate dot patterns and ribbon strokes to create some of her most famous paintings.

ECONOMIST: Aboriginal art: Drawing from the mists of time | The