Eco-activists who threw Heinz tomato soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers masterpiece are accused of damaging the artwork’s 17th Century Italian frame when the soup “acted like a corrosive”, a court has heard.
Two Just Stop Oil protesters threw the contents of two soup cans on to glass protecting the priceless masterpiece as it hung in London’s National Gallery.
While the painting itself escape unharmed, Southwark crown court heard, prosecutors say the antique frame “was a piece of art in itself” and its surface was damaged in the incident.
“The tomato soup acted like a sort of corrosive substance”, said prosecutor Francesca Kolar.
Just Stop Oil activists Anna Holland and Phoebe Plummer, both 22, after now on trial over the incident on October 14, 2022. They admit carrying out the stunt, but deny the charge of criminal damage.
Ms Kolar said it happened at around 11am, when Holland and Plummer attended the gallery “proporting to be visitors just like any other member of the public, visiting the gallery on that day.
“In fact, the defendants were at the gallery to protest on behalf of Just Stop Oil.”
She said the two women went to gallery 43 which houses the Van Gogh masterpiece, and spent a few minutes slowly walking around the rest of the gallery, looking at all the other paintings while glancing over at the Sunflowers.
“When the coast was relatively clear, they went up to the Sunflowers painting and took off their jackets to reveal white T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan ‘Just Stop Oil’” said Ms Kolar.
“They took two tins of Heinz tomato soup – yes, the regular kind you might buy in the supermarket – out of their bags and simultaneously threw the contents of the tins, the tomato soup, on to the painting.
“Quickly, they kneeled down beneath the painting and began to open a tube of superglue which they lathered on their left hands. They then fixed their hands to the wall of the gallery behind them.”
Jurors heard others in the gallery began taking pictures and videos,
Several other individuals started to film and take photos of the protest, which were swiftly uploaded on to the Just Stop Oil Twitter page.
“Targeting one of the most famous paintings in the world, in the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, in the heart of the nation’s capital, the Crown say is a publicity stunt, to bring attention to the aims of Just Stop Oil”, said the prosecutor.
She said the frame had been chosen by the National Gallery to house Sunflowers in 1999, as it was similar to the frames Van Gogh himself used to manufacture.
“The 17th Century Italian frame was a piece of art in itself”, she said.
“Through the defendant’s actions of throwing Heinz tomato soup on to the paintings, and the frame in particular, the well-preserved original surface of the frame had been damaged.
“The tomato soup acted like a sort of corrosive substance, destroying the patina of this antique frame.”
Larry Keith, head of conservation at the gallery, was among the specialists who rushed to help when the Van Gogh was attacked.
He told the court of his “relief” when they removed the glass cover and confirmed that the painting had not been affected.
But he said soup had to be removed from the frame by his colleagues.
Ms Kolar said the defendants accept throwing the soup but deny any damage was done to the frame.
She told the court: “Before the act of damage, the frame had never had to be adapted, never had to be restored.
“The original surface before October 14 is now no more. It’s changed forever.”
Judge Christopher Hehir, who is overseeing the trial, told jurors that evidence in the case, particularly around climate change, will be “constricted”.
“The position in law is that the motivation of either defendant and their convictions about climate change – however sincerely held – are not a defence to the allegation they face”, he said.
“It is not a defence to say I did it in pursuit of my sincerely held belief.”
Plummer, from Clapham, and Holland, of Newcastle, deny criminal damage. The trial continues.
