On Saturday, two young climate activists splashed soup on the protective glass covering Claude Monet's "Le Printemps" (1880) at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, France. The protest was carried out by members of Riposte Alimentaire ("Food Counterattack"), the same group that recently threw soup on the Mona Lisa.
The activists, identified as 20-year-old Ilona and Sophie, tossed the canned soup on the glass and frame of Monet's painting around 3:30pm while declaring, "This spring will be the only one we have left if we don’t react." They continued, "What will our future artists paint? What will we dream of if there is no more spring?"
Both protesters were arrested at the museum. Ilona later provided a video statement explaining her actions: "As a student, I would like to not have to miss class to participate in actions, but for me it is essential to act — to not close our eyes in the face of the current situation, in the face of government inaction."
The museum filed a complaint for vandalism against the activists. Lyon's Mayor Grégory Doucet acknowledged the protesters' "anxiety is legitimate" regarding the climate crisis, but lamented their tactics.
This latest soup-throwing demonstration targeting a famed Monet painting is part of a pattern of similar climate protests in recent years across Europe. While damaging the artworks themselves, the protests aim to draw urgent attention to the need for climate action and agriculture reform.