Climate activists smash glass protecting Velazquez’s Venus painting in London’s National Gallery – Times of India

LONDON: Two local weather changeprotesters smashed a protecting glass panel masking a well-known Diego Velazquez oil portray at London’s Nationwide Gallery, the group Simply Cease Oil mentioned on Monday. The 2 activists focused Velazquez’s “The Rest room of Venus”, also referred to as “The Rokeby Venus”, with small hammers. Pictures confirmed the protecting glass panel punctured with a number of holes. Simply Cease Oil, which has beforehand led related protests concentrating on well-known artworks and public buildings, mentioned Monday’s motion was to demand Britain’s authorities instantly halt all licensing for the exploration, improvement and manufacturing of fossil fuels within the UK. The group mentioned the 2 activists selected to focus on the Seventeenth-century oil portray as a result of it was beforehand slashed as a part of the suffragette motion calling for ladies’s rights in 1914. Simply Cease Oil mentioned the protesters hammered the glass panel, then informed individuals on the gallery: “Girls didn’t get the vote by voting. It’s time for deeds, not phrases.” “Politics is failing us. It failed ladies in 1914 and it’s failing us now,” they added. The Nationwide Gallery mentioned two individuals had been arrested and the portray has been faraway from show so conservators can look at it. “The pair appeared to strike The Rest room of Venus’ (The Rokeby Venus’) by Velazquez with what gave the impression to be emergency rescue hammers. The room was cleared of holiday makers and police had been known as,” the museum mentioned in an announcement.