Two Just Stop Oil activists have been found guilty of criminal damage after throwing Heinz tomato soup at Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers masterpiece.
Anna Holland and Phoebe Plummer, both 22, threw the contents of two soup tins on to glass protecting the priceless artwork as it hung in London’s National Gallery in October 2022.
While the painting itself escape unharmed, the 17th Century antique frame, described as “a piece of art in itself” was damaged in the attack.
“The tomato soup acted like a sort of corrosive substance,” said prosecutor Francesca Kolar said during the trial at Southwark crown court.
Holland and Plummer admitted carrying out the stunt but denied the charge of criminal damage. But they were found guilty by a jury at the end of a three day trial.
Judge Christopher Hehir told the two women to be “prepared in practical and emotional terms to go to prison” at the sentencing hearing on September 27.
The defendants - both committed Just Stop Oil activists - have indicated they will consider an appeal.
The judge, who recently jailed eco-activists for four and five years over a plot to disrupt the M25, blocked Plummer and Holland from arguing in the trial that they should be acquitted because they carried out the stunt to raise awareness of climate change.
Before her closing speech, Judge Hehir warned Plummer: “There’s no point banging on about climate change.”
The incident happened at around 11am on October 14, 2022, when Holland and Plummer attended the gallery posing as visitors to the gallery.
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 then began taking pictures and videos. The protesters were later seen being bundled into a police van at the back entrance of the gallery.
Having denied the charge, Plummer, from Clapham, and Holland, of Newcastle, were found guilty by a jury at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday.
A number of Just Stop Oil supporters were present in the court room as the verdict was delivered.
In 2022, Plummer said in front of the painting: “What is worth more, art or life? Is it worth more than food? Worth more than justice?
“Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting, or the protection of our planet and people? The cost-of-living crisis is part of the cost-of-oil crisis.”
Painted in Arles in the south of France in August 1888, van Gogh’s painting shows fifteen sunflowers standing in a yellow pot against a yellow background.
The priceless work was the second from the National Gallery to be selected as a target for protest action by Just Stop Oil in 2022, with two supporters glueing themselves to John Constable’s The Hay Wain in July of that year.
A conservation expert at the gallery told the court the frame around the Van Gogh painting had been specially selected, and she likened the soup which dripped on to the frame to “paint stripper”.
“I was shocked and dismayed as to the extent of the corrosion the tomato soup was causing to such an exquisite and antique frame”, said Isabella Kocum.
“Even once the majority of the soup had been removed, I was alarmed to see the remainder was still acting like a paint stripper in front of my eyes.”
Plummer and Holland are now banned from galleries or museums under the terms of their bail.
Plummer, who has been dubbed Just Stop Oil’s “poster girl”, was jailed for six months last November over a slow march to protest against gas and oil.
After the verdict, Katie McFadden from Hodge Jones and Allen, who represents Holland, said: “I am extremely disappointed with the decision today to find Anna Holland and Phoebe Plummer guilty.
“The Government continuously proves that they have little to no interest in attempting to curb climate change.
“They have proven that they have a great deal of interest in investing time and money into prosecuting young people trying to fight for the future of themselves and their children.
“If the Government put those resources into green initiatives, then my client would not have to protest and could focus on living their lives.
“We are disappointed about the limitations imposed, which prevented Holland and Plummer from fully explaining their motivations while giving evidence.
“We are considering whether we will appeal.”
