Climate protestors have targeted Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa as they threw soup at the iconic painting to make their voices heard.
The Mona Lisa is arguably the most famous painting in the world, and it hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris to be admired by millions of people each year.
The painting was completed in the 16th century by Da Vinci in the heart of the Italian Renaissance and was acquired by King Francis I of France after the artist's death.
As per Britannica, the painting was kept hidden in palaces until the French Revolution, whereafter it was hung in Napoleon's bedroom.
At the turn of the 19th century, it was hung in the Louvre and in 1911 it was stolen by an Italian man who believed it should return to the country it was painted. It was later found and returned to Paris.
Considering the painting has a long history, it would seem as if it isn't done with the drama just yet, as it was the victim of a recent soup attack.
As reported by the New York Post, two climate-change activists from the group "Riposte Alimetaire" made headlines by hurling pumpkin soup at the famous painting on Sunday (January 28).
Luckily, the Mona Lisa is housed behind protective glass and the actual painting remained undamaged.
Shouting in French, the activists questioned the priorities of society, declaring: "What is more important? Art or the right to have a healthy and sustainable food system?"
"Two activists from the environmental movement ‘Riposte Alimentaire’ sprayed pumpkin soup on the armored glass protecting the Mona Lisa, this Sunday, January 28, 2024, around 10:00AM," the museum said in a statement, according to CNN. "The Louvre’s security staff immediately intervened."
Officials at the Louvre announced their intention to file a complaint against the activists involved in the stunt.
The museum has been a repeated target of protests, with this incident marking the latest in a series of attempts to draw attention to environmental concerns through disruptive means.
In 2022, a self-proclaimed eco-warrior, donned in a wig and lipstick, attempted to break through the protective glass surrounding the Mona Lisa, ultimately throwing a cake at the painting.
Shouting about the Earth's destruction, the protester stated: "Think of the Earth. There are people who are destroying the Earth. Think about it, artists tell you, think of the Earth. That's why I did this."
The Mona Lisa has faced previous attacks, with a woman throwing a ceramic cup at the painting in 2009, as reported by CNN. The incidents highlight the challenges museums face in safeguarding priceless works of art.
The Mona Lisa has been through a lot, so pumpkin soup is just another story it has to tell.
