The famous “Mona Lisa” is again under attack, this time from climate activists for showing solidarity with French farmers’ protests against the government for better living conditions.
The expensive and mysterious artwork created by Leonardo da Vinci is one of the biggest tourist attractions at the Louvre Museum in Paris. It has been targeted several times in the past, the most recent being in 2022.
Protesters throw canned soup at ‘Mona Lisa’
Two climate activists involved in the demonstration broke through tourists at the Louvre museum on Sunday to carry out their mission at the “Mona Lisa.” In viral videos on X, the woman is seen throwing canned soup over the piece before bypassing the wooden enclosure, blocking access to the art section.
On entering, one of the women removed her jacket to reveal a white shirt with “Riposte Alimentaire” written boldly across the front. The French word for “food response” belongs to the food sustainability activist group.
Her partner also joined the demonstration shouting to the crowd, “What’s more important, Art or healthy sustainable food?” before museum workers immediately rushed to prevent the public from capturing the shocking event.
ALERTE – Des militantes pour le climat jettent de la soupe sur le tableau de La Joconde au musée du Louvre. @CLPRESSFR pic.twitter.com/Aa7gavRRc4
— CLPRESS / Agence de presse (@CLPRESSFR) January 28, 2024
Riposte Alimentaire has accused the French government of violating its climate commitments and demanded that an equivalent French state-funded healthcare system be created so that people can access healthy food and also enable decent housing for farmers.
However, despite the proximity of the act, NBC News confirmed from museum management that no damage was recorded and that the piece had been safely behind shielded glass since 2005.
The emailed statement added that the “Salle des Etats,” where the painting stands, was closed for about 90 minutes while workers cleaned the affected area and got people out.
In 2022, an activist attacked the piece by smearing cake on the frame shouting: “The artist tells you: Think of the Earth. That’s why I do this.” Farmers in France have also planned to gather in Paris on Monday with threats to block all main roads leading to the capital.
Galleries have become an excellent avenue for protesters to draw attention to climate issues, and the Louvre, home to the “Mona Lisa,” records more than 10 million visitors annually.
Van Gogh’s “Sunflower” at the National Gallery in London’s Trafalgar Square is also facing a similar “soup attack” from “Just Stop Oil” activists who are trying to pressure the UK government into scrapping its plans to renew their oil and gas licences.
The Mystery Behind ‘Mona Lisa’ Revealed
The attack on the Mona Lisa can also be attributed to its rich pedigree, from the creator to the controversial identity of the Mona Lisa herself, which has piqued the curiosity of many art lovers for decades now.
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However, a significant break was made by the historian Silvano Vinceti, who carefully observed the landscape behind the “Mona Lisa.”
The Blast shared that Vinceti discovered the bridge behind the Mona Lisa’s left shoulder and compared it to historical documents and previous drone photos. In conclusion, the bridge is Romito di Laterina, which still has an existing remnant in the province of Arezzo in the South of Florence, Italy.
Another group suggested that the bridge could also go over the Buriano Bridge in Southern Florence, which is very close to the Romito Bridge in Laterina, or the Bobbio Bridge north of Genes in Italy.
To prove his point, Vinceti argues that Da Vinci stayed in Valdarno while painting the “Mona Lisa”, meaning that he used Romito di Laterina on his way.
Despite Vinceti’s discovery, many unanswered questions still hover around details in the painting, such as the river, which was once confirmed as the Arno due to its shape.
Another mystery about the Mona Lisa is the true identity of the woman, who artist Giorgio Vasari claimed was Lisa del Gioncondo, wife of the Florentine Francesco di Bartolomeo del Giocono.
The name also coincided with the painting’s second title, “La Gionconda,” but was not enough to convince Sigmund Freud, who thought the model was Caterina, Da Vinci’s mother.
He argued that Mona Lisa’s complicated smile came from a vague memory of Caterina’s smile. However, another sect has stated that the painting is simply Da Vinci himself but represented by a woman, thanks to the similarity in their facial expressions.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
