Activists from the “Last Generation” climate protection protest group attacked a valuable painting by the French impressionist Claude Monet in the Barberini Museum in Potsdam. According to the museum, a picture from the series “Les Meules” (grain stacks) was sprayed with mashed potatoes on Sunday.
“Since the picture is glazed, according to the immediate conservation investigation, it has not suffered any damage,” said a statement in the evening. The work should be on display in the exhibition rooms again next Wednesday.
A total of four people were involved in the action, reported museum spokeswoman Carolin Stranz. Police spokesman Mario Heinemann reported that officials had taken two people into custody in the museum. The two are said to have poured a liquid over the painting around 3 p.m. and then glued themselves next to it. The two people are being investigated for trespassing and property damage.
The protest group posted a video of the attack on the painting on Twitter. In the statement on Sunday, she called on politicians to take effective measures to limit climate change.
Museum is “shaken”
Museum director Ortrud Westheider said: “Despite all the understanding for the urgent concerns of the activists in view of the climate catastrophe, I am shocked by the means with which they are trying to emphasize their demands. Especially in the works of the Impressionists we see the intensive artistic examination of the Nature.” Such landscape paintings could also give visitors the impetus to “reflect and question their relationship to the environment”.
A few days ago there were already indications that environmental activists could carry out an action in the museum, reported museum spokeswoman Stranz. The security staff was able to prevent this. She did not give details.
Just over a week ago, environmental activists threw tomato soup at the painting “Sunflowers” (1888) by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh in the National Gallery in London. The frame was slightly damaged.
The picture from the series “Getreidestack” hangs in the permanent exhibition of the Museum Barberini from the collection of the donor and multi-billionaire Hasso Plattner.
