Videos have been circulating online of a man urging artists to “think about the earth” after trying to break the protective glass around the Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece. Louvre spokeswoman Nadia Al-Rafsi said in an emailed statement confirming the incident, that the painting remained unharmed.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said Via email on Monday he was opening an investigation The accident occurred after the young man was hospitalized.
single syllable The security guards escorting the man outside were shown yelling in French, “Think of the earth. There are people destroying the earth. Think about it. The artists are telling you: Think of the earth. That’s why I did this,” According to the Associated Press.
Other clips showed staff cleaning what appeared to be a white cake or cream from bulletproof glass around the 16th-century painting.
The Mona Lisa, housed in one of the world’s most famous museums, has been targeted before.
In 1911, a museum employee stole the painting. In 1956, in two separate accidents, it hit acid and a rock, after which the painting was coated with glass to prevent further damage. Decades later, in 2009, a woman attacked her with an earthenware mug, the Associated Press reported.
