Louvre Mona Lisa hall stunt ends in two arrests

Two Germans were arrested on Saturday after they stuck two small paintings to a wall in the Louvre hall where the Mona Lisa is displayed, police sources said.

The paintings measured 30 by 40 centimetres and were attached with sticky tape. One showed one of the men wearing armour, while the other was a portrait of both men with a woman.

Museum security officers detained the men and called police. Police sources said the men were arrested for minor damage to the wall and told officers they had acted for fun.

The Mona Lisa, which is protected behind thick glass, was not damaged. The men are expected to be summoned to court once the museum files a formal complaint for the damage, police sources said.

The incident comes as French museum security is under scrutiny after several recent thefts. The Louvre was targeted in October 2025, when eight jewellery items worth millions of dollars were stolen in a daylight heist. Four suspects have been arrested in that case, but the stolen items have not been found.