The world's most famous painting 'Mona Lisa', by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci, was attacked after a man disguised as an elderly woman threw a custard pie at it on Sunday amid visitors' shock as this is the first time since 2011 a person dares to attack a world's masterpiece.
Security forces rapidly arrested the man who attacked the Mona Lisa painting while pretending to be an elderly woman in a wheelchair at France's Louvre art gallery in the capital Paris.
Maybe this is just nuts to me?but an man dressed as an old lady jumps out of a wheel chair and attempted to smash the bullet proof glass of the Mona Lisa. Then proceeds to smear cake on the glass, and throws roses everywhere all before being tackled by security. ???? pic.twitter.com/OFXdx9eWcM
— Lukeee? (@lukeXC2002) May 29, 2022
The man, who was wearing a black wig and lipstick, appeared to be an artist and a climate change activist. Following his arrest, the man said that he only threw the cake at the famous Mona Lisa painting to protest 'destroying the Earth'.
According to the Daily Mail, he said: 'Artists think about the Earth, that's why I did this. Think of the planet!'.
After throwing custard pie at the Mona Lisa, the man followed it with a bouquet of roses. However, it was stopped by one of the security guards at the Louvre art gallery.
The world's most famous canvas was left unharmed due to the protecting glass covering it. Leonardo da Vinci's painting was attacked twice during the past years; one in 1956 and another time in 2011.
Can anybody translate what ole dude was saying as they where escorting him out?? pic.twitter.com/Uy2taZ4ZMm
— Lukeee? (@lukeXC2002) May 29, 2022
The video of the Mona Lisa attack has gone viral hours after being shared online as it got over ONE million views on Twitter. Social media users have condemned the attack on the famous canvas calling it a treasure from the past and no one should destroy it.
Some people have also wondered how many jail years this person will get for attacking the Mona Lisa masterpiece? Others have remembered a clip from the famous Mr. Bean movie where actor Rowan Atkinson accidentally sneezed on the Whistler painting at the gallery, then stains it with an ink-soaked handkerchief.
It reminds me this ? #monalisa https://t.co/7IwDfaK912 pic.twitter.com/PcDKX7HshF
— Vidyadhar Raju (@urzvidyadhar) May 30, 2022
About the Mona Lisa Painting:
The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait painting created by the world's most famous Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. The Mona Lisa is one of the most valuable paintings in the world as It holds the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the highest known canvas insurance valuation in history at US$100 million in 1962.
