The Mona Lisa, the famous work byLeonardo da Vinci, was attacked yesterday (Sunday, May 29) at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
The priceless16th-centurypainting wasfortunately not damaged, authorities say.
According to witnesses present who told their stories on social media, the attacker was a young man wearing a wig who arrived at the Louvre in a wheelchair. Once in front of the 77 × 53 cm work, the man jumped up and tried to “break the bulletproof glass,” said one witness.
The assailant then “smeared cake on the glass and threw roses everywhere, before being subdued by security,” another witness said on Twitter.
Upon arrest, the assailant uttered the words, “Think of the Earth.”
“There are people who are destroying the Earth. Think about it. Artists tell you: think about the Earth. That’s why I did this,” he said.
The Louvre Museum staff quickly wiped off the cake, which had covered the bulletproof glass.
This is not the first timethe Mona Lisa has been vandalized. It was stolen in 1911 by a museum employee. In the 1950s, it was damaged in an acid attack by a vandal!
On average, 20,000 visitors come to admire and photographLeonardo da Vinci‘s Mona Lisa daily.This makes it the most popular piece in the world.