Two young Just Stop Oil supporters have smashed the glass cover of a painting once famously slashed by a suffragette. They are demanding the government immediately halt all new oil and gas projects in the UK.
Two Just Stop Oil protestors have been arrested after glass protecting th at the National Gallery was smashed.
The Rokeby Venus was famously slashed in the National Gallery by the suffragette Mary Richardson in 1914. Richardson left seven slashes on the painting, causing particular damage to the area between the figure’s shoulders, however, all were successfully repaired. Richardson’s action was in resistance to the UK government’s imprisonment of Emmeline Pankhurst at the time. She explained her actions after the incident- “I have tried to destroy the picture of the most beautiful woman in mythological history as a protest against the Government for destroying Mrs. Pankhurst, who is the most beautiful character in modern history.”
The Metropolitan Police said two activists had been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage. The artwork, which was painted by Diego Velazquez in the 1600s, was previously slashed by suffragette Mary Richardson in March 1914.
Just Stop Oil named the pair as Hanan, 22, and Harrison, 20, and said they used safety hammers to smash the glass. Following the incident, they said: “Women did not get the vote by voting; it is time for deeds not words. It is time to Just Stop Oil.
“Politics is failing us. It failed women in 1914 and it is failing us now. New oil and gas will kill millions. If we love art, if we love life, if we love our families we must Just Stop Oil"
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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