Local weather activists glued themselves to Johannes Vermeer’s “Lady with a Pearl Earring” at a Dutch museum on Thursday within the newest stunt focusing on well-known artworks, however the portray was undamaged. Three individuals had been arrested after the assault at The Hague’s Mauritshuis museum on the 1665 masterpiece which has impressed a bestselling novel and a Hollywood movie, police stated. (Additionally learn: Vermeer exhibit to unite Milkmaid, Lady with a Pearl Earring)
Social media pictures confirmed a person sporting a “Simply Cease Oil” t-shirt glueing his head to the portray, whereas one other glued his hand to the wall and a 3rd emptied out a tin of what gave the impression to be tomato soup.
The stunt comes after activists threw soup at Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” on the Nationwide Gallery in London on October 14 and smeared mashed potato over a Claude Monet portray in Germany.
“Artwork is defenceless and and we strongly condemn making an attempt to wreck it for whichever trigger,” the Mauritshuis stated in a press release to AFP.
The museum stated the incident occurred at round two pm (1400 GMT) and that police had been referred to as.
“One particular person glued his head to the portray, which was behind glass, and the opposite particular person glued his hand to the inexperienced wall subsequent to the portray. A 3rd particular person threw an unknown substance on the portray,” it stated.
The Mauritshuis added: “We’ve instantly inspected the portray, which was executed by our restorers. Luckily the portray… was not broken.”
The portray would return on show “as quickly as potential”.
The Hague police stated on Twitter that they’d arrested three individuals in a museum for “public violence towards items”.
– ‘Stunning and priceless’ –
Dutch museums had stepped up safety after the “Sunflowers” stunt and the potato assault on Monet’s $111-million “Les Meules” (Haystacks) on the Museum Barberini in Potsdam on Sunday.
Dozens of individuals had been gathered contained in the Mauritshuis ready for information after Thursday’s incident, whereas safety guards informed them to not get too near the opposite work, an AFP reporter stated.
The doorway to the room the place the “Lady with a Pearl Earring” usually hangs was blocked off by a big replica oil portray and a guard stated it will seemingly be closed for the remainder of the day.
Two police vans had been parked outdoors the museum whereas investigations continued.
A video of the incident on Twitter confirmed a shaven-headed activist sticking his head to the “Lady with a Pearl Earring”. One other poured a crimson substance from a tin over the pinnacle of the primary activist.
A 3rd man in a white “Simply Cease Oil” t-shirt shouted “how do you’re feeling” as he glued his hand to the wall.
“How do you’re feeling while you see one thing stunning and priceless being apparently destroyed earlier than your eyes,” he stated. “This portray is protected by glass however the way forward for our kids isn’t protected.”
Museum guests shouted “disgrace”, “obscene” and “you are silly”.
Artwork lovers have lengthy been fascinated by Dutch grasp Vermeer’s portray of the younger lady with an enigmatic look, sporting a blue and yellow turban, a heavy pearl hanging from her ear.
It has supplied additional inspiration notably for Tracy Chevalier’s 1999 novel “The Lady with the Pearl Earring” which gave rise to an Oscar-nominated movie starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth.
This story has been revealed from a wire company feed with out modifications to the textual content. Solely the headline has been modified.