In the heart-stopping clip, the Mona Lisa can be seen with cake smeared across its protective glass in a bizarre protest stunt.
Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, nearly suffered a tragic twist of fate as an onlooker at the museum tried to “destroy” the precious artefact.
According to reports, it is believed a man dressed in a ladies’ wig attempted to smash the bullet proof glass before smearing cake across the protective layer.
The incident took place at the Louvre Museum, Paris on 29 May (Sunday).
In the clip, shared by Luke Sundberg which has received 2,600 likes, swarms of people can be seen with their cameras in the air as they film the now-tainted artwork.
Someone in the background shouts: “No way” before the clip comes to an end.
In a second video, the unidentified man pushes a wheelchair as he speaks to the crowd while security try to usher him off the scene.
Luke wrote on his post: “I can’t believe we witnessed something historic. Maybe not on the right side of history however.
“Maybe this is just nuts to me, but a man dressed as an old lady jumped out of a wheelchair and attempted to smash the bullet proof glass to the Mona Lisa.
“Then proceeds to smear cake on the glass, and throws roses everywhere all before being tackled by security.”
Users took to the comments to share their reactions.
“Damn I was there yesterday that’s crazy,” one viewer commented.
Another person added: Memory that u will never forget.” [sic]
“Punks not dead,” someone else wrote.
One person commented: “This is true art!”
Another provided insight to the man’s words, saying: “He said ‘think about the earth, all you artists, think about the earth. People are destroying our planet that’s why I did this.”
In another clip, posted by Sarah Algaba which has received over 2,000 views, a different angle is provided which shows the museums’ staff wiping off the remainder of cake from the protective glass barrier.
It is believed that the man performed the stunt as a protest against climate change.
Recent reports have confirmed that the suspect has been placed into psychiatric care following his arrest.
