Tomato Soup is allowed in the National Gallery? Why???

I've learned to avoid London during school breaks because of this nasty behavior

They weren't school children they were adults so I don't see the relevance.

The British Museum is the only London museum where I remember a heavy-duty screening; they look in your bag and I believe you also walk through a metal detector. That said, that's the only London museum I visited this year; all other visits go back to 2019 or earlier, and I may have forgotten the details.

The National Gallery here in Washington DC hasn't had particularly strict security in the past that I recall (again, I may be mis-remembering). I know the Renwick Gallery (crafts/decorative art) does look inside purses, but it doesn't forbid food and water in general.

they missed

and not kids

It is sad that people want to damage or destroy amazing works of art.

40 Years ago, I first saw Night Watch by Rembrandt at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It was not covered at all. The huge painting was awesome. This year, I took my wife to Amsterdam and we visited that museum again. Night Watch had a bulletproof glass screen in front of the painting (the screen was actually more than one screen, but each screen was connected) . The protection for the painting totally ruined anyone's view of the amazing painting.

I saw the Mona Lisa decades ago and then later saw it covered with protective glass. It just wasn't the same.

I understand the need to protect priceless works of art from fanatics or crazy people, but why spoil it for everyone? Couldn't they do a better job with security, screening viewers; keeping people from getting close to the paintings or placing guards?

“ This year, I took my wife to Amsterdam and we visited that museum again. Night Watch had a bulletproof glass screen in front of the painting (the screen was actually more than one screen, but each screen was connected) . The protection for the painting totally ruined anyone's view of the amazing painting.”

The screens you saw have nothing to do with protecting the painting from potential attacks. The screens are in place because the Nightwatch is going extensive restoration. Instead of doing the restoration in a special workshop, they brought the special workshop into the museum. The painting is now placed in a glass house which houses all the equipment and materials the specialists working on the painting need. The glass house allows the specialists to work on the painting without visitors getting in the way, but in the meantime still allowing these visitors to see the painting. The whole restoration project is is called “Operatie Nachtwacht” or Operation Nightwatch. You can read more about it here; https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/operation-night-watch

Was it Campell's soup?

Do you really feel safe in museums and other public institutions
London? If metal soup cans make it in, anything can.

Do I feel safe in London? Why yes, yes I do. In fact I feel safer there than I do in many cities in the US. Not sure it is correct to equate the ease of getting a bomb into a facility as a can of soup. I see no threat to personal security with a can of soup. Only the inconvenience and disruption that the cleaning process required. Even in this case, the painting was back on display by the end of the day. And these pro environmental extremists were not children, so school break had nothing to do with it. Again, a false equivalence. Making extreme exaggerations only diminishes your argument.

Security is necessary, however they will inevitably miss some things. And that is something you have to accept unless you want them to require a strip search before anyone can enter a public building. I think all institutions like this are constantly weighing the risk/benefit ratio of their security measures, and adjust them based on advice by qualified professionals in that field, and not on the fear mongering of some tourists.

Was it Campell's soup?

NOpe. According to the video, it was Heinz. These people really do have bad taste.

Nope. According to the video, it was Heinz. These people really do have bad taste.

That got me cracking up 🤣. Thanks.
One thing is certain: these people reached their goal, which is "making headlines".

What Dutch_traveler said.

They can't cover everything, but they can and should put the screws (maybe thumbscrews?) to these so-called "environmental" terrorists as a deterrent (and not just in museums). My understanding is the painting only survived relatively unscathed because it was behind glass. Tomato soup is very acidic and my guess is it isn't on any conservators list of helpful treatments.

But I agree that looking at artwork behind barriers and bullet proof glass isn't a great experience either. I guess I would like to see the Mona Lisa again, but I likely won't until it becomes less of a target for tourists and terrorists. Sadly probably not in my lifetime.

Is this post about about the willful damage of art or fear of a terrorist attack? I sense paranoia. I can honestly say I've never been nervous in my travels.

If we are talking about the stupid vegan w@nkers who have thrown soup at the National Gallery and dumped cartons of milk at Waitrose(way to get the low-wage staff on your side), then yes I do feel safe.

There have been people who have damaged or tried to damage art works in almost every Art Museum. The Prado, The Louvre, and even in the DC. Smithsonian where they look in your bag. I still feel safe in all Art Museums.

I find it strange that people are more outraged about an "attack" on a
piece of glass than they are about the future of the world.

Do you also find it strange that it is possible to care or feel outrage about more than one thing at the same time? Caring about the safety of priceless works of art does not preclude one from caring about the environment.

How does defacing a work of art make the world better?

All those idiots wanted was attention, and unfortunately they got it.

I must say, I am coming down with outrage fatigue.

One also might call unhinged the morons who think they are going to win over the hearts and minds of people by pulling idiotic stunts like this one. Whatever happened to peaceful and nonviolent protests? Throw the soup at the oil company buildings if they want to protest against oil. I doubt Van Gogh had anything to do with the petrochemical industry.

" The autumn school break will almost be over when I arrive in a couple of weeks so the disruptions will likely lessen. I've learned to avoid London during school breaks because of this nasty behavior. "

The incident took place outside the school holidays. Also, what you going to do at weekends when schools are out?

Dutch Traveler,
Thanks for the information about Night Watch. It was just my bad luck that the renovation was taking place when we visited.
Still, the Rijksmuseum is one of my favorite art museums in the World.

@Geovagriffith; I guess it’s a matter of perspective. I personally consider it extremely good luck that The Rijksmuseum is doing the restoration and conservation of this masterpiece in the museum for all to see. I’ve visited the museum several times in the recent years and each time I’ve learned something new about the painting and about Rembrandt’s painting techniques. There is lots of information available in the museum about the restoration process and if you are lucky you can even ask the specialists working on the painting all kinds of questions. The museum could have decided to remove the painting from the museum for several years in order to carry out the necessary works. This would have probably been a lot easier. Instead they decided to move the restoration and conservation workshop into the museum, thus allowing the public to see what it takes to conserve such an important work of art.

So I read about the restoration project and they said it is closer than ever (behind the glass of course) so you can get up close and personal ... I guess that means for someone like me who likes to get the whole painting in my picture, I'm SOL ... so for those who have seen it recently, am I correct?

DQ, I was there last month. You can see the whole painting but I wasn't able to get a photo without a glare from the glass. It was still very spectacular to view. The picture in this article shows how it looked when I was there https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/rembrandt-the-night-watch-visible-from-back-1234609269/

I saw Night Watch 40 years ago with no barrier and it was awesome. With the barrier you could not take in the painting. It was way less than awesome.

“guess that means for someone like me who likes to get the whole painting in my picture, I'm SOL ... so for those who have seen it recently, am I correct?”

@DQ; even without the glass house the painting is currently placed in, it’s practically impossible to take a picture of the whole painting. Due to the huge size of the painting and it’s popularity it’s next to impossible to take a photo without at least one other visitor blocking part of the painting. That’s why the museum shops sells postcards from the painting. So the painting now undergoing much needed conservation and preservation has little to no impact in that regard.
Consider yourself lucky that you now have the opportunity to get really close to the painting. You can now even get close enough to see individual brush strokes. If the painting wasn’t placed in its current glass restoration workshop, you wouldn’t be allowed to get that close.

Interesting discussion. To summarize my thoughts, I do think major museums or galleries that do not have robust security screening, a ban on large purses and backpacks and a list of items that are prohibited are not making a good faith effort to protect the exhibits, the patrons and the employees. They are also offering a soft target in the extremely unlikely event of a terrorist attack. That’s not paranoid, just common sense. I’m not afraid of violence in London. Frankly, not much could match the gun violence in my neighborhood. Elderly women like me are never the targets and I live without fear, but do worry for some of my neighbors.

I would give the environmental activists more credit if they dumped their tomato soup on their own petrochemical banners that they parade with all over London. How about an old organic cotton sheet as a banner, instead. Recycling! We all have to live in the world we have right now, however. I don’t buy synthetic fabric items as a rule but I do travel with a nylon rain shell. Who am I to criticize environmental purity in daily life. Industry and agriculture should be the targets of environmental protests, not ordinary citizens. Given that, throwing soup on a painting that won’t be damaged inconveniences relatively priviledged museum patrons. Perhaps that is the better protest, as apposed to blocking ordinary people’s road access to schools and hospitals with giant petrochemical banners. Still, I would advocate for saving the tomato soup for Corporate offices of Big Ag companies.

I’m not too impressed with vegans pouring cow’s milk on a supermarket floor, while leaving imported California almond milks on the shelves. Importing almond milk from California has to be as bad for the environment as local dairy farming. We are drying up out here. Please, please, please dump out all the almond milk from California. Just don’t dump it on the floor where someone much less priviledged will have to clean up after you. Leave the ordinary people alone.

I was there last month ... The picture in this article shows how it looked when I was there

@roubrat ... I read the article and noticed it was from Nov 8, 2021 and mentioned you could view it from behind the enclosure until November 23 (the author did not mention a year so I'm guessing she meant 2021), then it would be hung again on a wall ... seeing as you were there recently and it was still behind the glass, they are either still working on it or decided to leave it up close behind glass ... either way, I not going until mid April 2023 so things could change by then but at least I won't be surprised if it is still behind glass.

they are either still working on it or decided to leave it up close behind glass

I'd say they're still working on it as there was equipment behind it.

throwing soup on a painting that won’t be damaged inconveniences
relatively priviledged museum patrons.

Many of the national museums in London, including the National Gallery, are free for anyone to see (except for special exhibits ). One does not need to be "privileged" to enter them.

“seeing as you were there recently and it was still behind the glass, they are either still working on it or decided to leave it up close behind glass”

In my first reply in this thread I already linked to the website dedicated to Operation Nightwatch. This website has all the details about the still ongoing restoration and conservation process. The painting is still in its glass house, because they’re still working on it. Not because they were finished but just decided to leave it behind glass. The glass house the painting is currently in is huge, it’s not like the small glass covering around the Mona Lisa for instance. The glass house is this large size because it not only contains the painting, but also needs to have room for all kinds of research and restoration equipment as well as allow several experts and specialists to work comfortably. Due to its size, the glass house is kind of in the way, so once the restoration is done they will definitely remove it. It’s currently not known how long the restoration process will take. This depends on what they will discover along the way. The museum does a great job of keeping visitors up to date about the restoration. In the museum, there are signs in both Dutch and English that describe what they’re currently doing as well as give information about what the research has revealed so far. The same goes for the website. You can see photos and videos that provide an explanation about the findings during the restoration process. You can for example see, X-ray photos of the painting. The link to this website is here; https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/exhibitions/operation-night-watch

@Dutch_traveler ... thanks for that link, it was very interesting ... I looked at it after your first reply but didn't see anything definitive that they were still working on it (maybe I missed it) ... that was my first thought but since I don't like to assume, I asked for validation which was provided ... either way, I am looking forward to my trip in April to not only the museum, but the Flower Parade through Sassenheim and seeing Keukenhof in all it's tulip glory.

There is still a special part of the Rijksmuseum website dedicated to “Operation Nightwatch”, because the restoration process is still in progress. The Rijksmuseum haven’t announced a date when the work will be completed, because this is very much a “learning and planning as they go along” kind of process. They didn’t know the exact state of the painting, the canvas, the varnish etc until they were able to make detailed high resolution photos. scans, x-rays etc. Only know that they know the condition of each layer of the painting, can they start thinking about how to best restore and conserve it. For the foreseeable future, visitors to the Rijksmuseum should take into account that the Nightwatch will still be in its glass house.

I am upset about the unwarranted criticism of Heinz soup.

The goal was to get attention.

We have proved they accomplish their goals and are continuing to reinforce bad behavior by giving them attention.

"The goal was to get attention."

Indeed. And it is a shame they do. Apart from the soup tin stupidity, their worst "thing" was tipping out milk in supermarkets. That's milk which if not sold is handed to food banks. And, of course, these weirdos drink almond "milk", even though almonds don't grow in England so what they drink has flown thousands of miles to get into their mouths. Utter hypocrites, the lot of them.