Two climate activists from Just Stop Oil, Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, have been sentenced to prison after throwing tomato soup at Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers at London’s National Gallery in 2022. The protest was aimed at highlighting the urgent need for climate action and the relationship between the oil crisis and the cost-of-living crisis. Despite the painting being protected by glass, the protest caused around £10,000 worth of damage to the frame.

Plummer was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, while Holland received a 20-month sentence. The court criticized their lack of concern for potential damage to the artwork. In defense, over 100 artists and art historians signed an open letter arguing that the act was itself a form of artistic expression, connecting with the tradition of iconoclasm in art. The letter drew parallels between the protest and works by artists like Jackson Pollock and Robert Rauschenberg, suggesting the protest enriched the cultural narrative around Sunflowers.

The incident continues to spark debate over the appropriate legal and moral response to climate activism in the context of public art