Protesters hurled soup at the Mona Lisa painting in Paris on Sunday, but did not seem hit directly as it is protected by a clear casing.
An environmental group has said two protesters involved with their campaign were behind the vandalism.
On X, formerly Twitter, Riposte Alimentaire, which roughly translates to “Food Response,” wrote that “2 citizens involved with the new Riposte Alimentaire campaign sprayed soup on the world-famous ‘Mona Lisa’ painting on display at the Louvre Museum.”
Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece hangs in the Louvre museum and is arguably the most famous painting in the world, drawing millions of visitors each year who line up to pose with the small artwork, which is just over 2.5 feet tall and under 2 feet wide.
The enigmatic portrait is no stranger to both vandalism and thievery.
It was stolen in 1911 by a Louvre employee, raising its international profile, and the bottom of the canvas suffered an acid attack in the 1950s, leading the museum to beef up protective measures surrounding the work, including bulletproof glass.
In 2009, a woman angrily threw a ceramic cup at the painting, breaking the cup but leaving the painting unharmed.
Then in 2022, a visitor smeared frosting all over the Renaissance-era painting’s protective glass.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
With previous reporting by Jacqui Palumbo
