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How has the Louvre protected the Mona Lisa from vandalism?
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Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa, oil on wood panel by Leonardo da Vinci, 1503–19; in the Louvre, Paris.
To protect the Mona Lisa from vandalism, the Louvre Museum houses the painting behind a bulletproof glass case.12
This security measure was implemented following several attacks in 1956, one of which caused damage near the subject’s left elbow. Since the installation of this protective casing, the painting has successfully escaped harm from various acts of vandalism, including a 1974 incident in Tokyo, a 2009 attempt where a visitor threw a ceramic mug, and instances in the 2020s involving climate protestors throwing cake and soup.1