Climate activists glued themselves to Johannes Vermeer's "Girl with a
Pearl Earring" at a Dutch museum on Thursday in the latest stunt targeting
famous artworks, but the painting was undamaged.
اضافة اعلان
Three men were arrested after the attack at The Hague's Mauritshuis museum
on the 1665 masterpiece which has inspired a bestselling novel and a
Hollywood
film.
They trio were Belgian, one 42-year-old and two 45-year-olds. "They
remain in custody and are being questioned," The Hague police said.
Social media images showed a man wearing a "Just Stop Oil" t-shirt
glueing his head to the painting, while another glued his hand to the wall and
a third emptied out a tin of what appeared to be tomato soup.
The stunt comes after activists threw soup at Vincent van Gogh's
"Sunflowers" at the National Gallery in London on October 14 and
smeared mashed potato over a Claude Monet painting in Germany.
"Art is defenceless and and we strongly condemn trying to damage it for
whichever cause," the Mauritshuis said in a statement to AFP.
The museum said the incident happened at around two pm (1400 GMT) and that
police were called.
"One person glued his head to the painting, which was behind glass, and
the other person glued his hand to the green wall next to the painting. A third
person threw an unknown substance at the painting," it said.
The Mauritshuis added: "We have immediately inspected the painting,
which was done by our restorers. Fortunately the painting... was not
damaged."
The painting would return on display "as soon as possible".
- 'Beautiful and
priceless' -
Dutch museums had stepped up security after the "Sunflowers" stunt
and the potato attack on Monet's $111-million "Les Meules"
(Haystacks) at the Museum Barberini in Potsdam on Sunday.
Dozens of people were gathered inside the Mauritshuis waiting for news after
Thursday's incident, while security guards told them not to get too close to the
other paintings, an AFP reporter said.
The entrance to the room where the "Girl with a Pearl Earring"
normally hangs was blocked off by a large reproduction oil painting and a guard
said it would likely be closed for the rest of the day.
Two police vans were parked outside the museum.
A video of the incident on Twitter showed a shaven-headed activist sticking
his head to the "Girl with a Pearl Earring". Another poured a red
substance from a tin over the head of the first activist.
A third man in a white "Just Stop Oil" t-shirt shouted "how
do you feel" as he glued his hand to the wall.
"How do you feel when you see something beautiful and priceless being
apparently destroyed before your eyes," he said. "This painting is
protected by glass but the future of our children is not protected."
Museum visitors shouted "shame", "obscene" and
"you're stupid".
Art lovers have long been fascinated by Dutch master Vermeer's painting of
the young woman with an enigmatic look, wearing a blue and yellow turban, a
heavy pearl hanging from her ear.
It has provided further inspiration notably for Tracy Chevalier's 1999 novel
"The Girl with the Pearl Earring" which gave rise to an
Oscar-nominated film starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth.
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