Three activists have been arrested after a violent attack on a painting by Johannes Vermeer at the Mauritshuis art museum in the Netherlands. The police in The Hague reported this on Thursday via Twitter. According to the museum, the target of the attack was the world-famous painting by the Dutch master “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” (1665-1667). According to the Maruitshuis, it was not damaged. Some halls of the museum have been closed, the police said.
Two men can be seen near the painting in a video circulated on Twitter. One of them glued his head to the glass in front of the painting and a red liquid was poured over him. The other man had taped his hand to the wall next to the picture.
Just last week, activists spilled mashed potatoes on Claude Monet’s painting “Grainstacks” at the Potsdam Museum Barberini. The climate protest group “Last Generation” takes responsibility. According to the museum, the painting is not damaged thanks to glazing and a special felt strip. Museums and associations are currently discussing how works of art can be better protected against such actions in the future.