In a bold act of protest for the right to healthy food, two activists have thrown soup onto the iconic Mona Lisa painting at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The world-renowned masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci from the 16th century appears to be undamaged, thanks to a protective layer of armored glass.
The incident, captured on camera and circulating on social media, involved two women hurling a liquid against the glass safeguarding da Vinci’s artwork. During the act, the activists shouted slogans advocating for sustainable and healthy nutrition. They even crossed a security barrier to approach the painting more closely.
In the recorded footage, the women question, “What is more important? Art or the right to healthy and sustainable nutrition?” They argue that the agricultural system is ailing and that French farmers are perishing in their labor. Following the incident, Louvre staff swiftly placed black panels in front of the painting and urged visitors to exit the hall. The women wore white T-shirts bearing the name of their movement, “Riposte alimentaire.”
Police reported the subsequent arrest of two individuals involved in the incident.
On their website, the activist group expressed dissatisfaction with the French government’s failure to fulfill climate commitments. They called for improved access to healthy food for the people while ensuring fair incomes for farmers. Currently, farmers in France are protesting against rising costs and low incomes.
This is not the first time the Mona Lisa, displayed behind protective glass since 2005, has been targeted. In May 2022, it was hit with a cream pie. In separate incidents in October 2022, Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” at the London National Gallery faced a soup attack, and activists adhered to Goya paintings at the Prado Museum in Madrid.
The act of defacing iconic artworks in the name of activism continues to raise questions about the balance between artistic heritage and pressing social issues. As debates unfold, it remains to be seen how such protests will shape the ongoing discourse on climate change, agriculture, and the right to healthy living.
