Mona Lisa: Soup thrown on the painting at the Louvre Museum in Paris – French Public Radio

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The demonstrators threw soup on me the Mona Lisa painting In Paris on Sunday, but it was protected from damage thanks to its glass case.

The environmental group Riposte Alimentaire – which roughly translates to “food response” – said two protesters involved in their campaign were behind the vandalism.

The Louvre Museum has since reopened the “Hall of States” room, which contains the Mona Lisa, after it was vacated.

A statement issued by the museum said: “Two activists from the environmental movement Riposte Alimentaire sprayed pumpkin soup on the armored glass protecting the Mona Lisa, on Sunday, January 28, 2024, around 10 a.m. (4 a.m. EST).”

“Security staff at the Louvre Museum intervened immediately.”

The museum said it was filing a complaint.

Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, hangs in the Louvre and is arguably the most famous painting in the world, attracting millions of visitors each year who line up to take photos with the tiny artwork, which measures just over 2.5 feet tall and less than 2 feet wide.

The mysterious photo is no stranger to vandalism and theft.

It was stolen by a Louvre employee in 1911, raising its international profile, and the lower part of the painting was attacked by acid in the 1950s, prompting the museum to beef up the protective measures surrounding the work, including bulletproof glass.

In 2009, a woman angrily threw a ceramic cup at the plate, breaking the cup and leaving the plate unharmed.

Then in 2022, a visitor applied a layer of frost to the protective glass of the Renaissance painting.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

With previous reporting by Jackie Palumbo