Art fans were left shocked after cake was smeared across the Mona Lisa painting in an attack by a climate change activist at the Louvre in Paris.
A man disguised as an elderly woman in a wheelchair jumped up and threw cake on the iconic painting, shocking onlookers.
The man attempted to break through the bulletproof glass that protects the painting and then proceeded to throw roses in the air before security escorted him out of the building.
A viral video shows the cake smear across the glass the Mona Lisa sits behind.
The painting was luckily unharmed.
According to reports, the attack was an attempt to draw attention to climate change. In a video of security escorting the man out of the building he urged people to "think of the Earth".
The incident has gained widespread attention online, but the discussion is more focused on the absurdity of the attack rather than on climate change.
"And she just sat there smiling too. Don’t mess with Mona... she went viral 500 years ago," one person tweeted.
"Worst heist ever," another person said.
The Mona Lisa portrait, painted by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th century, is one of the best-known pieces of artwork in the world, estimated to be worth over $1 billion.
Attacks and attempted thefts of the Mona Lisa to raise awareness for particular causes have been made throughout history including acid, rocks and a teacup being thrown at the painting.
In 1974, a disabled woman upset with the lack of access ramps at the museum sprayed red paint at the painting while it was on display at the Tokyo National Museum.
