Activists Attempt Art Destruction
Three activists threw soup on two more van Gogh paintings hours after Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland were sentenced to prison time. Just Stop Oil
Greetings Warriors
Let me tell you about a headline that’s stirring up the art and climate activism world right now. In late 2022, Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, both activists with the group Just Stop Oil, walked into London’s National Gallery and threw tomato soup at none other than van Gogh’s Sunflowers. Now, I know what you’re thinking—“Why?” Well, they were making a bold statement about the planet, asking everyone in the gallery, "What's worth more—art or life? Are you more worried about protecting a painting or protecting the planet?"
Luckily, the iconic painting wasn’t harmed because it was behind protective glass, but the frame did take some damage, totaling around $13,400 in repairs. Fast forward to July, and both Plummer and Holland were found guilty of criminal damage. The court wasn’t having it—Plummer, 23, was sentenced to two years in prison, and Holland, 22, got 20 months. The judge didn’t mince words, calling their actions “extreme” and “criminally idiotic.”
In 2022, Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland glued their hands to the wall of the gallery after throwing soup on Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers. Just Stop Oil
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But here’s the thing—these activists aren’t backing down. Plummer made it clear that she’s at peace with her actions, saying, “I’ve found peace in acting on my conscience,” even as she stood before the judge. And she’s not alone. Just hours after their sentencing, three more activists targeted van Gogh’s sunflower paintings in the gallery’s Poets and Lovers exhibition, hurling more soup in protest. Like before, the paintings weren’t damaged, and those activists were swiftly arrested.
BUY MY ART🖤
Just Stop Oil is dead serious about their mission to end the U.K.'s reliance on fossil fuels by 2030, and they’ve got a lot of support despite the harsh consequences. Earlier this week, more than 100 artists, curators, and historians penned an open letter urging the court to reconsider jailing Plummer and Holland, arguing that their actions fall within the long history of artistic protest.
Plummer left the court with a final message, standing firm in her belief that civil resistance is crucial to protecting the planet. She called out the judicial system, saying, “If you think that sentencing us will stop ordinary people from standing up for justice, I believe you will be proved wrong.”
It’s wild, but these protests are making waves—not just in the climate movement, but in how we think about art, activism, and what it all means for the future.
It’s wild, but these protests are making waves—not just in the climate movement, but in how we think about art, activism, and what it all means for the future.
BUY MY ART🖤
