Defenders of Art

“We have the duty to preserve the past, because without memory there is no identity.”

NETHERLANDS
Sunflowers

Sunflowers – Vincent van Gogh – Soup Protest (2022)

In October 2022, two environmental activists affiliated with the British group Just Stop Oil entered London’s National Gallery and threw tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1888). The painting itself was protected by glass and was not physically damaged, but the frame suffered harm and the gallery was temporarily closed while security intervened. The activists glued their hands to the wall beneath the work and were arrested shortly afterward. The incident drew global attention and widespread condemnation for targeting an iconic masterpiece housed in a public museum

Rembrandt Acid Attack

The Night Watch – Rembrandt – Acid Attack (1990)

In 1990, an escaped psychiatric patient sprayed sulfuric acid directly onto Rembrandt’s The Night Watch at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The chemical damaged the painting’s protective varnish and caused localized discoloration. Museum staff immediately neutralized the acid to prevent further harm, and conservators began a meticulous restoration process that took months.