Van Gogh attacked at National Gallery
Plus: will Salvator Mundi come into the light?
Hello
First things first, shocking breaking news this morning as protesters have attacked Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery. At just after 11am two activists from the Just Stop Oil group entered the gallery, threw the contents of tins of Heinz tomato soup over the world famous painting, then proceeded to glue themselves to the wall while shouting to aghast onlookers - and assembled journalists - things such as “What is worth more? Art or life?” and “Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people.”
The two protesters, aged just 20 and 21, were arrested for criminal damage and aggravated trespass. Thankfully, the National Gallery quickly issued a statement saying that the painting was unharmed thanks to its glazed cover, but that there was some damage done to its frame.
A quick look online shows how much outrage has been generated by the group’s actions, with many scratching their heads about what it actually achieves, other than alienating those already sympathetic to their cause. Others pointed out that while they also shouted about the cost-of-living crisis, the National Gallery is free to visit, and that those who will be involved in literally clearing up their mess will be the very people facing some of the worst of the crisis.
The videos of the attack happening are truly shocking to watch - irrespective if any damage was caused. Sunflowers - along with every painting in the National Gallery, and every artwork in every national collection - belongs to us all. Why create such visceral division in the name of a problem that will only be solved by unity and cooperation? The story very quickly made headlines right across the world. And soon after, the group Just Stop Oil admitted to the New York Times they carried out the stunt because it would generate news. It was simply “an iconic painting, by an iconic painter” a spokesperson said.
*A foot note: a not-insignificant number of people on Twitter are responding to this tweet and video to suggest that the protest was enabled by the Gallery or that the whole thing was fake. Who knows exactly what was briefed to whom in advance, but certain corners of the internet don’t need much fuel to sow distrust in public institutions, whether based on facts or not. The focus might be on the actions of the protesters, but insidious narratives in the world of social media could stick more than Heinz tomato soup.
For now, let’s read on for more news.
Maxwell
News from the UK
In more cheerful National Gallery news, this week it was announced that Frans Hals’ the Laughing Cavalier will go on loan for the first time ever, as it heads to the National for the first major retrospective of the artist in a generation. The show will open next autumn. Twitter
Perhaps the protesters who attacked the Van Gogh this morning were inspired by a Channel 4 announcement this week (yes I know they weren’t but I’m weaving a rich tapestry of news here). The channel said it was making a new show where the destruction of artworks is being encouraged. It has bought works by Adolf Hitler and other "problematic" artists and will ask a studio audience whether *checks notes* comedian Jimmy Carr should destroy them. Channel 4 said the series would be "a thoughtful and nuanced exploration of the limits of free expression in art." The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust called it "deeply inappropriate" and that it was making the Nazi leader "a topic of light entertainment." The Times called it a dangerous stunt. The Spectator asked if Channel 4 could sink any lower. Well done all involved. BBC News
One of the shirts worn by King Charles I when he was executed in 1649 has gone on public display at the Museum of London Docklands. It’s one of the highlights of a new exhibition exploring the city’s obsession with capital punishment. Charles I’s handkerchief, glove and vest are other star exhibits that try to tell the story of “the bloodiest city in Europe”. The Times
Tracey Emin is having a stellar Frieze week. One of the first paintings she made post treatment for cancer sold at Christie’s for four-times its estimate, with the hammer coming down for £1.9m. This is the painting that this newsletter recently reported was being sold to raise money for Emin’s new artist school in Margate. Elsewhere, at White Cube, seven works on paper priced at £50,000 sold during the VIP opening. At Xavier Hufkens, a large-scale Emin painting sold in the region of £950,000, and four neons sold for around £60,000 each. Not a bad week at the office. The Art Newspaper
This newsletter has previously reported on the threat of closure facing the Royal Cornwall Museum after the local council blindsided the museum’s leaders by suddenly pulling the plug on its funding. But the council has offered a stay of execution by providing transitional support while the 200-year-old museum reviews its business plan and applies for funding from partners to create a "museum for the 21st century." Nothing says a 21st century museum like one that is forced to go begging to other partners to keep the doors open. Cornwall Live
News from around the world
The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C has officially handed over ownership of its 29 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria. Representatives from the museum - plus two other museums who were transferring one bronze each too - signed over the pieces at a ceremony on Tuesday. Most of the pieces will be shipped back to Nigeria in the next month but the Smithsonian said it is keeping nine on loan. Wall Street Journal
Following the Smithsonian’s move, the culture minister of Nigeria urged the British Museum to follow this example and to return their bronzes too. “They should learn from what has happened today and what happened in Germany” the minister said. “It’s not if, it’s when” he added. The Guardian
The whereabouts of the world’s most expensive painting has been unknown for five years, but that could all be about to change. Leonardo da Vinci’s $450m Salvator Mundi could soon be on permanent display as it’s reported that the painting’s rumoured owner, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, is building a gallery in which to house it. British art historian Martin Kemp revealed the plan while speaking at the Cheltenham Literary Festival this week, saying he thinks it’ll be completed in 2024. The Art Newspaper
And finally
It’s taken so long to fix the entrance door at one Shetland museum, the story has made the local news. Who says museums move slowly.
The Design Museum’s new exhibition on a century of Surrealism and design has opened. The Guardian’s Jonathan Jones has called it “a delightful orgy of bad taste.” How can you not want to visit.
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