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image source, Twitter / @ klevisl007 / Archyde.com
The Mona Lisa, created in 1503, is Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous work.
A man dressed as an old woman in a wheelchair threw a cake at the Mona Lisa, the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci at the Louvre museum in Paris.
The work was not damaged in the incident, but the glass that covers it was stained with white cream.
The perpetrator of the incident was dressed in a wig and wore lipstick. As he was being escorted out of the compound, the individual called on people to “think Earth.”
The event, which occurred on Sunday, was described by witnesses as “shocking”.
Luke Sundberg, from the United States, was visiting the Louvre when it all happened. “People started to react and when we looked, a man in a wheelchair dressed as an old woman ran towards the painting and started punching it and then rubbed cake on it,” the 20-year-old told the PA agency.
“It was regarding 10, 15 seconds before security took the man away, and people kind of panicked.”
“It was shocking, it was quite a bit to take in considering how historic the Mona Lisa is… the moment was one in a million.”
‘Think Earth’
The activist, who also threw roses in the gallery, was escorted out of the compound by security guards. “Think of Earth,” he exclaimed.
“There are people who are destroying the Earth. Think regarding it. Artists say, ‘think regarding the Earth.’ That’s why I did what I did.”
The Parisian prosecutor’s office confirmed on Monday that it had arrested a 36-year-old man, and had sent him to the police psychiatric unit. In addition, he said that an investigation had been launched into the damage to cultural artifacts.
The Renaissance painting has been protected by glass since the 1950s, following an acid attack.
A video captured by Sundberg showed curious visitors cheering following the whipped cream was wiped off the paint.
Another museum visitor, Klevis, 26, from Albania, asked: “What were the chances of something like this happening?”
The BBC asked the Louvre museum for comment.
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