London's National Gallery bans bringing liquids into museum after attacks on works in the collection

As of today, the National Gallery in London is banning the carrying of liquids inside the museum, with the exception of baby milk and prescription medicines. This was announced in a security update memo from the London museum itself, which states, “Following recent incidents inside the Gallery, it is now necessary to take stronger security measures to ensure the safety of all visitors, National Gallery staff and the national collection of paintings. Free access to the National Gallery allows everyone to be inspired by humanity’s greatest achievements. The collection we possess is irreplaceable, and these attacks have forced us to consider putting more barriers between people and works of art to preserve these fragile objects for future generations. Unfortunately, we have reached a point where we are forced to act to protect our visitors, our staff and our collection.”

“Since July 2022,” the note continues, "the National Gallery has been the victim of five separate attacks on iconic paintings such as Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, John Constable’s The Hay Wagon, and Diego Velázquez’s Venus Rokeby. These attacks have caused physical damage to artworks, discomfort to both visitors and staff, and disruption to our mission to ensure that great art is available to everyone, everywhere. Two of these attacks have occurred in the past two weeks, which is why we have made the difficult decision to change the way we operate for the foreseeable future."

Pictured, two environmental activists throw tomato soup on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London.

London's National Gallery bans bringing liquids into museum after attacks on works in the collection

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