Two visitors were arrested at the Louvre after installing their two paintings in the same building that houses the Mona Lisa.
As per police report, the two individuals – who identity was not revealed – were German national. On Saturday, they entered the Louvre with two of their paintings. Then, inside the Salle des États, they installed the two paintings on the walls. The first painting featured the first visitors wearing an armor. The second painting portrayed both visitors alongside a woman.
The paintings, each measuring 11.8 x 15.7 inches, were stuck on the walls using sticky tape. The two were immediately detained by the museum seucrity and later arrested by Paris police. As per the report, they are getting charged with damaging the museum walls. The Mona Lisa, which was housed near the place of the incident, was not damaged.
Also Read: Here’s A Look At The Inaugral Times 100 Art List
The incident is particularly alarming not because of its severity, but because it happened in the first place. France has been on high alert for a year due to many incidents of thefts at museums across the countyr. The Louvre itself saw what’s called the “Heist of the Century” last year, where jewels worth $102 million were stolen in broad daylight. The subsequent investigation revealed major lapses in security at the museum. The fact that the two miscreants were able to smuggle two paintings and put it up on wall seems to suggest that the museum security has not improved much despite almost a year.
