Food - News
Why A Legendary Van Gogh Painting Was Attacked With Tomato Soup
By MARIA SCINTO
Vincent Van Gogh’s painting “Sunflowers” is a beautiful, iconic piece with an estimated worth of around $81 million, and it currently resides in London’s National Gallery. The famous artwork recently made headlines after protesters from the group Just Stop Oil threw tomato soup at it, leading to their arrest.
The two young women responsible were protesting climate change, and it seems the painting was chosen because it’s well-known and valuable. One of the protesters was heard asking, “Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting? Or the protection of our planet and people?”
There may have also been symbolic value to the soup itself, as the protester noted millions of families “can’t even afford to heat a tin of soup.” While the soup-slingers succeeded in garnering attention, “Sunflowers” is already back on display, as the damage to the painting was minimal since it’s protected behind a sheet of glass.