Ive said before how I don't like paintings being behind glass at galleries but when things like this can happen I see why they are.

A Russian woman frustrated at failing to obtain French nationality hurled a ceramic cup at the Mona Lisa but did not damage Leonardo da Vinci's famed portrait, a spokesman for the Louvre Museum said on Tuesday.  

 The other part i thought that was relevant in the article was other examples given of similar incidents.

In 2007, a man broke into the Musee D'Orsay in Paris and punched and damaged a painting by the French impressionist Claude Monet.

In 2008 a Cambodian woman was made to do community service after kissing a painting by American artist Cy Twombly at a gallery in southern France, leaving lipstick on the canvas.

Its sad that a small group spoil things for the rest of us. I remember one trip to the tate I was looking at a turner when some idiot came up to the painting and started pointing at it with a ball point pen mere mm from the canvas. Scary stuff Lucky the curators spotted the guy.

anyway you can Read The full Article Here.