Defenders of Art

What is Defenders of Art?

Defenders of Art is an independent project dedicated to documenting and raising awareness about attacks and destruction involving works of art around the world.

Its goal is to collect verified information about these incidents, highlight the cultural damage they cause, and encourage institutions and individuals to take art protection seriously.

By understanding how and why art is lost, we can better defend it, because preserving art means preserving human history itself.

The goal is to preserve memory, expose ignorance, and remind visitors that art is fragile and ephemeral: it survives only as long as people choose to defend it.

Check also the list of the defenders of art by clicking the image of the knight in the top right of this page and the list of the destroyers of art by clicking the image of the devil.

You can also explore the interactive map of Europe below: click on any nation to see the attacks against art in that specific country.

When you visit other sections of this website, you can return to the homepage by clicking on the Defenders of Art text at the top of each page.