Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, both 22, Just Stop Oil activists, have been found guilty of criminal damage after throwing tomato soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting at the National Gallery in London. They will be sentenced in September, and the judge will likely impose jail time.
The incident occurred in October 2022, and the activists also glued their hands to the wall beneath the painting. The National Gallery reported that the gold-coloured frame of the glass-covered artwork sustained damage in the attack. At Southwark Crown Court, Judge Christopher Hehir warned Plummer and Holland to be “prepared in practical and emotional terms to go to prison” when sentenced on 27 September. He remarked that the activists “came within the width of a pane of glass of destroying one of the most valuable artworks in the world.”
As part of their bail conditions, Plummer, from Clapham, and Holland, from Newcastle, are prohibited from carrying glue, paint, or any adhesive substance in public and are banned from visiting galleries or museums. This follows the judge’s decision last week to sentence five other Just Stop Oil activists to prison terms ranging from four to five years.
During the trial, the court heard Plummer’s statements from the 2022 protest, in which she questioned the value placed on art compared to human life and environmental justice. “What is worth more, art or life? Is it worth more than food? Worth more than justice?” she asked. Are you more concerned about protecting a painting or the protection of our planet and people? The cost-of-living crisis is part of the cost-of-oil crisis.”
After the verdict, Holland’s solicitor, Katie McFadden, expressed deep disappointment and indicated a potential appeal. “The government continuously proves that it has little to no interest in attempting to curb climate change,” she said. “They have shown they are very interested in investing time and money into prosecuting young people trying to fight for their future.”
McFadden also criticised the limitations imposed during the trial, which prevented Holland and Plummer from fully explaining their motivations.
The “Sunflowers” painting, which has been part of the National Gallery’s collection for a century, depicts 15 sunflowers in a yellow pot against a yellow background. It is one of four remarkable sunflower paintings Van Gogh created in less than a week during the summer of 1888 in Arles, southern France when cold, northerly winds kept him from working outdoors.
This attack was the second on a National Gallery piece by Just Stop Oil activists in 2022. In July, two protesters glued themselves to John Constable’s “The Hay Wain.” In December 2022, Eben Lazarus and Hannah Hunt were found guilty of causing criminal damage.
As the court proceedings continue, Stop Oil activists’ actions remain contentious, highlighting the ongoing tension between climate activism and the protection of cultural heritage.