PARIS (AP) — An environmental activist was detained Saturday after pasting a protest sign on a Monet painting at the famous Orsay Museum in Paris.
It was the last of several actions by protesters from the Food Riposte group to Target artworks in France in calls for action to protect food supplies from further climate damage. The museum, known in French as the Musée d’Orsay, is a major tourist destination and houses some of the world’s most beloved Impressionist works.
The activist targeted Claude Monet’s “Poppy Field” by affixing a sticker that covered about half of the painting with an apocalyptic, futuristic view of the same scene. The group said it should show what the countryside would look like in 2100, “devastated by flames and drought”, if no more action is taken against climate change.
The woman was detained pending the investigation, according to Paris police.
It was unclear whether the incident damaged the painting. The museum did not respond to requests for comment.