Just Stop Oil activists throw tomato soup on van Gogh's Sunflowers at National Gallery
On October 14, 2022, two activists from the British climate group Just Stop Oil threw Heinz tomato soup onto Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers at London's National Gallery. The painting, worth €80 million, was protected by glass and suffered no damage. Dressed in white shirts that read 'Just Stop Oil,' the protesters glued themselves to the wall. One shouted, "What is worth more, art or life? Is it worth more than food? More than justice?" After their demonstration, they were arrested. This protest is part of a series of actions by Just Stop Oil in London, including disruptions at the British Academy Film Awards and Premier League games, demanding the UK government to stop new fossil fuel licenses.
Key facts
- Two Just Stop Oil activists threw Heinz tomato soup on van Gogh's Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London on October 14, 2022.
- The painting, valued at €80 million, was protected by glass and undamaged.
- Activists glued themselves to the wall after the action.
- One activist shouted a question comparing the value of art versus life and the planet.
- Police arrested the activists.
- Just Stop Oil demands the UK government stop all new fossil fuel licenses.
- Similar protests have occurred at the Uffizi (Botticelli's Primavera) and National Gallery (Constable's Hay Wain).
- The group also disrupted the 75th British Academy Film Awards and Premier League matches.
Entities
Artists
- Vincent van Gogh
- Sandro Botticelli
- John Constable
Institutions
- National Gallery London
- Just Stop Oil
- Ultima Generazione
- Heinz
- British Academy Film Awards
- Premier League
- Arsenal
- Tottenham
- Uffizi
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom