A climate vandalist has been arrested after pink paint was thrown at a glass-covered Pablo Picasso painting at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA)Thursday morning.
The action was claimed by climate activist group Last Generation Canada, which proudly shared photos of the vandalized painting on social media.
They say an activist threw washable paint on Picasso’s “L’Hétaire” around 10:30 a.m. A photo shared by the group also purported to show the activist speaking to museum security in front of the painting.
The Museum’s team responded quickly, and found no immediate signs of damage to the painting, which was safeguarded under protective glass. A thorough condition report is being executed.
"The MMFA administration is deeply dismayed by this incident. It is most unfortunate that this act carried out in the name of environmental activism targeted a work belonging to our global cultural heritage and under safekeeping for the benefit of future generations. Art is another powerful tool for social change. Museums and artists alike are allies in the fight for a better world,” avers Stéphane Aquin, Director of the MMFA.
At about 10:30 a.m, a ticket-holder affiliated with the Last Generation group entered the Museum and made their way to the exhibition Berthe Weill: Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant- garde, on the 3rd floor of the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion. Once there, they sprayed a pink water-based paint on L'hétaïre (1901), a painting by Picasso on loan from the Pinacoteca Agnelli in Turin. The individual was apprehended by two Museum security guards and is now in the custody of the SPVM. The exhibition was temporarily closed to visitors, then reopened at 11:30 a.m. The work in question has been temporarily removed from display.
Main Image: Composite image of pink paint on Pablo Picasso's “L’Hétaire” at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the alleged activist speaking to museum security, June 19, 2025. (Courtesy: Last Generation Canada)