Climate activists threw oil on a Gustav Klimt painting – one that was protected by glass – in Vienna’s Leopold Museum on Tuesday.
Members of the Last Generation environmental activist group posted a video on Twitter showing a member hurling black liquid against the famous work “Death and Life.” One of the activists also stuck his hand to the protective glass.
A museum spokesperson confirmed the incident. “At first glance, the work is fine,” she told dpa, adding that restorers are now examining the painting more closely.
The activists’ action was prompted by partly state-owned Austrian oil and gas company OMV, which sponsored an open day at the Leopold Museum on Tuesday. Members tweeted that “People still searching and drilling for new oil and gas have blood on their hands – and no amount of sponsoring will ever wash that blood off.”
Climate activists have carried out similar actions in various museums around the world this year. ©dpa
