Wednesday 16 November 2022

Austrian Museum Fears Eco-Morons Have Damaged Gustav Klimt Masterpiece

 

Eco morons who threw dye over Gustav Klimt masterpiece at Austrian museum slammed by gallery boss

  • Climate activists in Austria threw a black, oily liquid over Gustav Klimt painting 'Death and Life' in museum
  • One activist glued himself to the 1915 painting at Leopold Museum in Vienna on Tuesday
  • A security guard at the museum managed to restrain one of the activists before police arrived at the site 

Climate activists in Austria today poured a black, oily liquid over Austrian painter Gustav Klimt's masterpiece 'Death and Life' at Vienna's Leopold Museum.

Two members of the group 'Last Generation' threw the dye over the 1915 painting before one proceeded to glue himself to the glass protecting the masterpiece.

A security guard at the museum managed to restrain one of the activists before police arrived at the site.

Museum staff are now concerned that Klimt's painting could have been damaged in the protest. 

'Restorers are working to determine whether the painting protected by glass has been damaged,' the museum's spokesman Klaus Pokorny said. 

Numerous masterpieces across Europe have been attacked in recent weeks.

Climate activists on Tuesday poured a black liquid over Austrian painter Gustav Klimt's masterpiece "Death and Life" at Vienna's Leopold Museum, a spokesman told AFP

Climate activists on Tuesday poured a black liquid over Austrian painter Gustav Klimt's masterpiece 'Death and Life' at Vienna's Leopold Museum, a spokesman told AFP

A security guard restrains one of the climate activists after they threw paint on the famous masterpiece

A security guard restrains one of the climate activists after they threw paint on the famous masterpiece

In footage shared by the group on social media two men can be seen pouring a black, oily liquid on the famous Klimt painting

In footage shared by the group on social media two men can be seen pouring a black, oily liquid on the famous Klimt painting

A file picture of Klimt's 'Death and Life' painting before climate activists in poured a black, oily liquid over painting

A file picture of Klimt's 'Death and Life' painting before climate activists poured a black, oily liquid over painting 

In footage shared by the group on social media two men can be seen pouring a black, oily liquid on the famous Klimt painting.

After the attack, police arrived at the museum and the black liquid was quickly cleaned off the glass protecting the painting, Austria Press Agency reported.

Despite thorough controls at the Leopold Museum's entrance, the activists succeeded in bringing the liquid inside by hiding it in a hot water bottle under their clothes, the agency reported.

The Klimt work is an oil on canvas painting in the Art Nouveau style depicting death on the left side and a group of partially naked, hugging people on the right side.

It's one of the latest pieces of art to be targeted by climate activists.

Different activist groups have staged numerous demonstrations in recent months, including blocking streets and throwing mashed potatoes at a Claude Monet painting in Germany. 

A climate activist of the "Last Generation" group who has glued himself to the painting "Death and Life" by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt after pouring a black liquid on the art work at the Leopold Museum in Vienna, Austria

A climate activist of the 'Last Generation' group who has glued himself to the painting 'Death and Life' by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt after pouring a black liquid on the art work at the Leopold Museum in Vienna, Austria

Two members of the group 'Last Generation' threw the dye over the 1915 painting before one proceeded to glue himself to the glass protecting the masterpiece

Two members of the group 'Last Generation' threw the dye over the 1915 painting before one proceeded to glue himself to the glass protecting the masterpiece

A security guard at the museum managed to restrain one of the activists before police arrived at the site

A security guard at the museum managed to restrain one of the activists before police arrived at the site

The British group Just Stop Oil threw tomato soup at Vincent van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' in London's National Gallery last month.

Just Stop Oil activists also glued themselves to the frame of an early copy of Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' at London's Royal Academy of Arts, and to John Constable's 'The Hay Wain' in the National Gallery.

A group of activists also threw pea soup onto a Vincent van Gogh masterpiece in Rome.

'The Sower', an 1888 painting by the Dutch artist depicting a farmer sowing his land under a dominating sun, was exhibited behind glass and undamaged.

Security intervened immediately and removed the protesters kneeling in front of 'The Sower' at the Palazzo Bonaparte. Protesters from the same group, the Last Generation, earlier blocked a highway near Rome.

A pair of demonstrators glued themselves to the floor after throwing soup on Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' at the National Gallery in London in October

A pair of demonstrators glued themselves to the floor after throwing soup on Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' at the National Gallery in London in October

One of the protestors said after the stunt: 'What is worth more, art or life?' before they glued themselves to the wall

One of the protestors said after the stunt: 'What is worth more, art or life?' before they glued themselves to the wall 

The £76 million piece of art was 'unharmed' during the climate demonstration on October 14

The £76 million piece of art was 'unharmed' during the climate demonstration on October 14

In a separate protest, two female activists glued themselves to the frames of two paintings by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya at Madrid's Prado Museum. 

In the wake of the protests, dozens of the world's top museums issued a joint declaration last week saying environmental activists who attack paintings 'severely underestimate' the damage that could be caused.

The statement was spearheaded by the Prado in Madrid, and signed by the directors of more than 90 world-renowned museums including the Guggenheim in New York, Louvre in Paris and Uffizi in Florence.

The two young women are raising awareness of the importance of sticking to the 1.5C limit to global warming, agreed at the Paris summit
Two female activists glued themselves to the frames of two paintings by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya at Madrid's Prado Museum

Two female activists glued themselves to the frames of two paintings by Spanish artist Francisco de Goya at Madrid's Prado Museum

Activist on threw pea soup onto a Vincent van Gogh's 'The Sower' in Rome on November 4

Activist threw pea soup onto a Vincent van Gogh's 'The Sower' in Rome on November 4 

Climate protesters of Last Generation after throwing mashed potatoes at the Claude Monet painting "Les Meules" at Potsdam's Barberini Museum on Sunday October 24

Climate morons after throwing mashed potatoes at the Claude Monet painting 'Les Meules' at Potsdam's Barberini Museum on Sunday October 24

Italy's new culture minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano, condemned the protests: 

'Attacking art is an ignoble act that must be firmly condemned,' he said. 'Culture, which is the basis of our identity, must be defended and protected, and certainly not used as a megaphone for other forms of protest.'

Protesters from Just Stop Oil glue their hands to the frame of a copy of The Last Supper at the Royal Academy in London

Protesters from Just Stop Oil glue their hands to the frame of a copy of The Last Supper at the Royal Academy in London

Protesters from Just Stop Oil climate protest group glue their hands to the frame of a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's, The Last Supper inside the Royal Academy, London, on July 5

Protesters from Just Stop Oil climate protest group glue their hands to the frame of a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's, The Last Supper inside the Royal Academy, London

Climate protesters from Extinction Rebellion stick themselves to Goya's paintings "Las maja naked" and "La maja ropa" to alert about the climate emergency in Madrid, Spain, on November 5

Climate morons from Extinction Rebellion stick themselves to Goya's paintings 'Las maja naked' and 'La maja ropa' 

A hero gallery worker silenced ranting eco-zealots after they glued themselves to a painting hung in Manchester Art Gallery

A hero gallery worker silenced ranting eco-zealots after they glued themselves to a painting hung in Manchester Art Gallery



Portrait of Adele, by Gustav Klimt

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