Man in Wig Hurls Cake at Mona Lisa, Paris Prosecutor’s Office Investigating

What would possess a man dressed as a woman to hurl a cake at the Mona Lisa?

 

A 36-year-old man dressed as an elderly woman vandalized the Mona Lisa, one of the world’s most iconic paintings, at the Louvre in Paris on May 30th, prompting police to open an investigation. A video of the man yelling and jumping about after tossing cake onto Leonardo da Vinci’s masterwork instantly went viral.

 

No damage was done to the painting due to its protective glass, but security guards quickly apprehended him and escorted him out of the museum into a psychiatry police unit. He has been questioned by police and remains in custody while they continue their investigation.

 

“Think of the Earth! Some people are destroying the Earth! Think about it. Artists tell you: think of the Earth. That’s why I did this,” the man said after his vandalism.

 

Security agents immediately intervened and began removing the smeared cake from the painting. The Mona Lisa is one of the most well-known works of art in the world. As a result, it’s no wonder that a video of a Louvre security taking the cake from the glass case went viral.

 

The Louvre is home to over 35,000 works of art, making it one of the largest museums in the world. While it may be home to many great works of art, Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is the most popular target for vandalism. This is not an isolated incident, as the Mona Lisa has dealt with similar issues previously in the past 500 years.