On Sunday, January 28, 2024, two protesters went to the Louvre, an art museum in Paris, France, and did something unexpected to DaVinci’s Mona Lisa. At 10 a.m., the protesters crossed the barrier between the painting and the crowd and threw soup at the glass protected Mona Lisa. The protesters, ages 24 and 63, did this to bring awareness to the problems with the food system in France.
These activists were said to be members of a group of French environmental activists called “Riposte Alimentaire,” which translates to “Food Response.” This attack was followed by one of the women yelling “What is more important, art or healthy sustainable food?” as museum workers rushed to the scene. The activists’ attempt to make a point about food sustainability seemingly failed as they were removed from the Louvre and arrested.
Though this may have seemed like that was all, later on Saturday, February 10, 2024, protesters from the same activist group went to Musee des Beaux-Arts, another art museum in southeast France, and threw soup on Monet’s “Le Printemps.” Like the Mona Lisa, the painting was covered by glass, but will still have to undergo a close inspection just in case any damage was done. On X, formally known as Twitter, Riposte Alimentaire claimed the attack by saying “We have to act now before it is too late.”
Riposte Alimentaire responded to criticisms of these attacks by saying “We love art, but future artists will have nothing to paint on a burning planet.” Though these protests are an attempt to bring attention to the problem of a food shortage in France, it is debatable whether the cause justifies disrespect to something that is part of the country’s culture. One thing is for sure, this isn’t the first time the Mona Lisa has been attacked, and it may not be the last.