Defenders of Art

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

Primer homenaje a Cristóbal Colón

Primer homenaje a Cristóbal Colón – José Garnelo – Red Paint Attack (2025)

A Spanish environmental activist group, Futuro Vegetal, threw red paint over the painting at Madrid’s Naval Museum and scattered orange powder through the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles as a protest against government inaction on wildfires.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers – Vincent van Gogh – Soup Protest (2022)

Activists from Just Stop Oil hurled tomato soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers in London’s National Gallery to protest fossil fuels.

Mona Lisa Cake Attack

Mona Lisa – Leonardo da Vinci – Cake Attack (2022)

Members of Riposte Alimentaire threw soup at the Mona Lisa and glued an adhesive poster onto Monet’s Coquelicots at the Musée d’Orsay to draw attention to social issues.

Botticelli Primavera Protest

Primavera – Sandro Botticelli – Glue Protest (2022)

Members of Ultima Generazione glued themselves to the glass protecting Botticelli’s Primavera at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence to raise awareness about climate change.

Botticelli Primavera Protest

Various Artworks at Dallas Museum of Art – Multiple Artists – Destructive Rampage (2022)

Brian Hernandez broke into the museum, smashing ancient Greek artifacts, contemporary sculptures, and display cases worth over $5 million.

Notre Dame Fire

Notre-Dame Cathedral – Fire (2019)

The Paris landmark suffered catastrophic damage due to a massive blaze.

Banksy Vandalized

Banksy – Street Mural Vandalized (2019)

A Banksy mural in London was defaced with spray paint overnight.

Statues Toppled

Historical Statues Toppled (2020)

Several monuments were destroyed during protests against colonial figures.

ISIS Palmyra Destruction

Palmyra – ISIS Destruction (2015)

Ancient temples and statues were blown up in a campaign of cultural erasure.

Egyptian Relief Damage

Egyptian Relief – Tourist Damage (2013)

A tourist carved initials into an ancient wall at Luxor Temple.

Da Vinci Sketchbook Theft

Da Vinci – Sketchbook Theft (2003)

A da Vinci sketchbook was stolen from a British collection, later recovered.

Iraq Museum Looting

National Museum of Iraq – Looting (2003)

Thousands of artifacts were stolen during the invasion of Baghdad.

The Scream Theft

Munch – The Scream Theft (2004)

The painting was stolen from the Munch Museum; later recovered with damage.

Rembrandt Acid Attack

Rembrandt – Acid Attack (1996)

“Danaë” was doused with acid and torn by a knife in the Hermitage Museum.

Goya Defacement Attempt

Goya – Defacement Attempt (1978)

An attacker tried to write over a Goya canvas with red paint.

Night Watch Knife Attack

Rembrandt – The Night Watch (1975)

A man slashed the masterpiece with a knife, leaving deep cuts.

Guernica Graffiti

Picasso – Guernica Graffiti (1974)

An activist spray-painted the mural during an anti-war demonstration.

Pietà Hammer Attack

Michelangelo’s Pietà – Hammer Attack (1972)

The sculpture was severely damaged by a man claiming to be Jesus Christ.

Rokeby Venus Slashed

Velázquez – Rokeby Venus (1914)

Suffragette Mary Richardson slashed the canvas with a cleaver in protest.

Mona Lisa Stone Attack

Mona Lisa – Stone Attack (1956)

A visitor threw a stone at the painting, chipping pigment from her elbow.

Michelangelo's David Toe Damage

Michelangelo’s David – Hammer Attack (1991)

A visitor struck the statue’s toe with a hammer, damaging the marble.

Venus de Milo Damage

Venus de Milo – Arm Incident (1820s)

The statue’s missing arms were lost during recovery from a shipwreck.