Attack on the most famous smile in the world: In the Louvre in Paris, a visitor threw a cake at the “Mona Lisa”. Meanwhile, the museum’s former director is arrested – a new art detective.
The room with the “Mona Lisa” was packed with visitors when a man dressed as a woman in a wig suddenly got out of his wheelchair and threw a cake at the photo. Leonardo da Vinci’s work remained undamaged thanks to the protective glass.
The man wants his action to be understood as a call for environmental protection. He exclaimed: “There are people who are destroying our earth. Artist, think of the earth. That’s why I did this. Think of the planet.”
Investigations against former director
The museum management declined to comment on the incident. The diversion comes at just the right time: the French justice has filed a preliminary injunction against the former director of the Louvre. Jean-Luc Martinez is suspected of being complicit in gang fraud and concealing the origin of ill-gotten goods. Specifically, it concerns five goods that the Louvre Abu Dhabi once bought – including a stone tablet with the seal of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun.
According to the police, the documents are of dubious origin. Martinez and others turn a blind eye to fake certificates of origin and approve the purchase for 15 million euros.
Mona Lisa a popular destination
Incidentally, this is not the first attack on the “Mona Lisa”. In 2009, a visitor threw a teacup at the painting, which slammed into the display case. In 1974 it was painted red in Tokyo. In 1956 it suffered minor damage from acid and a stone. The photo was even stolen once in 1911. The “Mona Lisa” didn’t appear until two years later, when the thief wanted to sell the painting to an antique dealer in Florence.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
