She has not lost her legendary smile thanks to her protective glass: “The Mona Lisa”, the most famous painting in the world, was immortalized at the Louvre in Paris on Sunday, without consequences since it is shielded behind a glass. according to statements in social networks.
After this incident, a 36-year-old man was admitted to the psychiatric infirmary of the police prefecture on Sunday and an investigation into “attempted degradation of cultural property” was initiated, we learned on Monday from the Paris public prosecutor’s office.
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Solicited by AFP on Sunday evening, the Louvre Museum replied on Monday that it would not comment.
According to photos and testimonies posted by tourists on Twitter or Instagram on Sunday, the incident happened in the early afternoon.
Several photos and videos show the cream-smeared protective glass of the “Mona Lisa” being cleaned by a man who appears to be a museum attendant.
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A Twitter user who says he was present at the incident claims the perpetrator was a disguised man in a wig who got out of a wheelchair to bang on the bulletproof glass before spreading cake on them.
Maybe this is just crazy to me, but a man dressed as an old lady jumps out of a wheelchair and tried to smash the Mona Lisa’s bulletproof glass. He then smears cake on the glass and throws roses everywhere before being attacked by security guards. 😂??? pic.twitter.com/OFXdx9eWcM
— Lukeee🧃 (@lukeXC2002) May 29, 2022
This Twitter user (@lukeXC2002) also posts a video of the man in question standing next to his wheelchair and being led out by security guards.
“There are people who destroy the earth (…) All artists, think of the earth. That’s why I did it. Think of the planet,” says the man dressed in white, wig and hat on his head, in French.
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In other images, the wheelchair can be seen behind the safety chain, which visitors should not normally go through. No photos or videos captured the incident itself.
It’s not the first time Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting has been vandalized.
In August 2009, a Russian visitor to the Louvre was arrested after throwing an empty teacup at “La Joconde”. The museum then explained that the mug was broken on the armored display case, which had been scratched very easily.
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In December 1956, a Bolivian woman threw a rock at La Joconde, injuring her left elbow. After that, she was placed behind a secure display case.
Presented behind bulletproof glass since 2005, protected by a special box where humidity and temperature are controlled, “The Mona Lisa” attracts millions of people every year who come to admire it in the largest museum in the world (ten million visitors per year). Year). COVID-19).
See also on the bag of chips: