A climate activist seeking attention to climate change was filmed live attacking the Mona Lisa inside the Louvre Museum in Paris on Saturday.
The incident stunned nearby spectators, who filmed the vandalism of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous masterpiece.
The man reportedly entered the museum disguised as an elderly woman confined to a wheelchair, with a wig.
Some people speculated that he might be transgender.
Oh my God! Mona Lisa!
Hopefully not too much damage! pic.twitter.com/mjugzDgc9B— Anna (@AnnaART89333) May 30, 2022
The vandalism attack began when he got up from his wheelchair, and jumped towards the Mona Lisa as he threw a full-size cake at the painting.
The guards quickly grabbed the man and escorted him away from the painting, and he was then seen shouting “Think of the Earth!”
The vandal was seen shouting in French: “Think of the earth! Some people are destroying it. All the artists are thinking about it. That’s why I did it.”
Maybe this is just nuts to me�but an man dressed as an old lady jumps out of a wheel chair and attempted to smash the bullet proof glass of the Mona Lisa. Then proceeds to smear cake on the glass, and throws roses everywhere all before being tackled by security. �??? pic.twitter.com/OFXdx9eWcM
— Lukeee� (@lukeXC2002) May 29, 2022
Given that the Mona Lisa has been subjected to multiple attempts at vandalism in recent decades, it has thankfully been wrapped up in a bulletproof cover for a long time, with the Louvre not reporting any damage in this recent incident.
“A man dressed like an old lady jumped from a wheelchair and tried to smash the Mona Lisa’s bulletproof glass. Then he continued to smear cake and threw roses everywhere, before security took care of him,” one eyewitness was quoted in the Guardian.
Interestingly, the Guardian reports that after his arrest the man was admitted to psychiatric treatment:
Previous attempts to give specific value to Da Vinci’s most famous masterpiece ranged from $ 900,000 to tens of billions of dollars !.
The elbow of the Mona Lisa was damaged in a well-known attack from 1956 after a Bolivian man threw a stone at the painting, which brought more security to its surroundings.
A special shield that regulates additional temperature and humidity for creation in 2005.
In 2009, a Russian woman threw an empty cup of tea at her.
At this point, the bulletproof shield stands in an attempt to prevent possible scenarios of destruction or vandalism from the millions of visitors who pass through the Louvre each month.