(Credits: Diego Delso)
The National Gallery in London has announced a new ban on attendees bringing in any liquids, except baby formula, prescription medicines, or expressed milk, as part of ongoing measures to protect the art against protesters and vandals.
The new rule follows five instances of antisocial disturbances at the gallery from protesters, including attacking pieces Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers and John Constable’s The Hay Wain. In an attempt to control the disorder, the gallery will have metal detectors at the entrance and visitors with bags will be searched.
The gallery will also prohibit the promotion of campaign materials and condemn “wearable paraphernalia deemed as offensive or affiliated to organisations that pose a physical threat to the collection.”
In a statement, the gallery said “free access” to art is one of “humanity’s greatest achievements,” but the latest activities have “forced” them to “protect our visitors, staff and collection.” It said: “[The attacks caused] physical damage to the artworks, distress to visitors and staff alike, and disruption to our mission to ensure great art is available for everyone, everywhere to enjoy.”
Although the issue has been exacerbated since 2022, a pivotal moment occurred back in September when three climate activists entered the gallery and threw soup at Sunflowers. Hours before they did so, two other activists were jailed for the exact same act after pouring soup over the same painting in October, 2022.
After the act, the latest three protesters removed their jackets to reveal Just Stop Oil t-shirts while chanting to a crowd of confused and irritated onlookers: “There are people in prison for demanding an end to new oil and gas, something which is now government policy after sustained, disruptive actions, countless headlines and the resulting political pressure. Future generations will regard these prisoners of conscience to be on the right side of history.”
However, Sunflowers joins a growing list of paintings targeted by Just Stop Oil. Not long after the protest in 2022, an activist attempted to attach himself to Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, which was on display at the Mauritshuis Museum.
Protestors also smashed the glass covering of Rokeby Venus, a painting by Diego Velazquez, at the National Gallery, while others targeted the Magna Carta at the British Library. The glass surrounding the Magna Carta was smashed before the activists glued themselves to it and held up a sign that stated, “The government is breaking the law.”
Following the National Gallery’s latest decision to ban liquids, they explained they were sorry visitors were “not going to receive the welcome we would very much like to extend to them, but we hope that they understand why it is necessary for us to do this.”
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