Climate activists throw soup on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at National Gallery

Two Just Stop Oil activists have been arrested after throwing a tin of what appeared to be tomato soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (1888) at the National Gallery.

The incident took place at just after 11am this morning in Room 43 of the gallery. After emptying a tin branded as Heinz Tomato Soup over the artwork, the protestors glued themselves to the wall below the painting.

The room was cleared of visitors and Metropolitan Police were called to the scene. The gallery has confirmed that the painting is protected by glass and was unharmed, while its frame suffered minor damage.  

In a statement, a National Gallery spokesperson said: “At just after 11am this morning two people entered Room 43 of the National Gallery.

“The pair appeared to glue themselves to the wall adjacent to Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers' (1888). They also threw a red substance – what appears to be tomato soup – over the painting.

“The room was cleared of visitors and police were called. Officers are now on the scene.

“There is some minor damage to the frame but the painting is unharmed. Two people have been arrested.”

In a statement released following the incident, one of the protestors, Phoebe Plummer, said: “Is art worth more than life? More than food? More than justice? The cost of living crisis is driven by fossil fuels – everyday life has become unaffordable for millions of cold, hungry families – they can’t even afford to heat a tin of soup. Meanwhile, crops are failing and people are dying in supercharged monsoons, massive wildfires and endless droughts caused by climate breakdown. We can’t afford new oil and gas, it’s going to take everything. We will look back and mourn all we have lost unless we act immediately.”

The incident comes after a spate of protests over the summer involving activists gluing themselves to paintings, prompting the Met to issue a warning to museums and galleries to tighten security. The police said protestors typically target “high-value artworks in order to generate further international news coverage”.

Two climate activists glued themselves to a Pablo Picasso painting at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday 9 October.

Before today's incident, the most recent such protest in the UK took place on 5 July, when The Last Supper by Giampietrino was targeted at the Courtauld Gallery.

Just Stop Oil describes itself as a coalition of groups working together to ensure the government commits to halting new fossil fuel licensing and production.

The group said its actions this month are are timed to coincide with the planned launch of a new round of oil and gas licensing, and to highlight the issue of fuel poverty created by soaring energy costs.