Activist tries to glue his head to Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ painting in the Hague

A climate activist attempted to superglue his head to the protective glass covering the famous “Girl with a Pearl Earring” painting in The Hague on Thursday, the Mauritshuis museum said. 

Additionally, a second activist glued their hand to the wall next to the 1665 artwork by Johannes Vermeer and poured a can of what appears to be tomato soup on top of his fellow activist, the museum added. 

"The police were notified and three people have been arrested. The condition of the painting was inspected by our restorer. Fortunately, the glass-covered masterwork was not damaged," the museum said.

A video posted on social media shows the two men near the painting wearing “Just Stop Oil” T-shirts, an activist group that also threw tomato soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s painting at London’s National Gallery earlier this month. 

In the videos, one of the men asks: "How do you feel when you see something beautiful and priceless being apparently destroyed before your very eyes?"

"That is that same feeling when you see the planet being destroyed," he adds.

BREEK - Meisje met de parel van Johannes Vermeer besmeurd in #Mauritshuis. pic.twitter.com/XzAZTOoBv9

— Steven Bakker (@Kolpen) October 27, 2022

The three Belgian men were arrested for damage to public property and a forensic investigation is being conducted. 

Just Stop Oil released a statement claiming its activists were responsible for the stunt in The Hague. 

"The message is clear: if humanity does not immediately stop using fossil fuels, it will become extinct," it said. "They would never defile a work of art not covered with protective glass."

Dutch Junior Minister for Culture Gunay Uslu responded by saying: "everyone has the right to make a point. But please: leave our shared heritage alone. Attacking defenseless works of art is not the right way."