Two German visitors detained after taping paintings near Mona Lisa at Louvre
French police questioned two German nationals after they used adhesive tape to affix two personal self-portraits to the wall in the Louvre gallery housing the Mona Lisa on Saturday.
Incident in the Mona Lisa gallery
Two German nationals taped two unauthorized paintings to a gallery wall in the Louvre Museum in Paris on Saturday, 19 September 2026. The incident occurred at approximately 15:30 local time inside the specific exhibition hall where Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is displayed. Both hung canvases measured 30 centimeters by 40 centimeters in size and were affixed directly to the wall surface using strips of adhesive tape. The first artwork showed one of the two men dressed in a suit of armor. The second canvas featured portrait depictions of both German men posing together with a woman. Louvre museum staff examined the entire exhibition area immediately after taking down the objects and verified that Leonardo da Vinci's painting suffered no damage during the intrusion.
Interception and police questioning
Louvre security officers intercepted both German nationals inside the gallery immediately after the pictures were mounted. Museum security personnel stopped the two men on site and alerted French police forces to take custody of the inquiry. Police officers questioned the pair in a formal free hearing, designated under French legal procedure as an audition libre. According to police statements, the two men explained that they had mounted the pictures for fun and amusement. Museum guards documented slight surface damage to the gallery wall caused when tearing off the adhesive tape used to mount the two frames. French authorities stated that the suspects will face formal legal summonses once museum management files its official complaint.
Broader security challenges at the Louvre
The unauthorized installation follows a succession of security vulnerabilities and incidents documented at the Parisian institution over the past year. On 9 October 2025, a commando of four burglars utilized a bucket truck to access the museum's upper levels and infiltrate the Galerie d'Apollon. The thieves stole eight French Crown Jewels with an estimated value of 88 million euros during an operation that lasted only a few minutes. French police forces subsequently arrested all four members of the burglary commando, yet the stolen crown jewels remain missing. The October 2025 theft exposed several operational shortcomings, notably an obsolete video surveillance system across the facility. Despite these security problems, the Louvre remained the most visited museum in the world, logging 9 million visitors in 2025.
- Four thieves use a bucket truck to steal eight Crown Jewels valued at 88 million euros from the Galerie d'Apollon
- Water leak damages hundreds of books in the Egyptian Antiquities library and a painted ceiling
- Second water leak causes further physical damage within the museum complex
- Two German nationals tape two unauthorized paintings onto the wall in the Mona Lisa room
Water damage and planned museum renovations
Beyond security intrusions, the institution encountered physical infrastructure issues across its building complex in recent months. Water leaks in November 2025 and February 2026 damaged several hundred volumes kept in the library of the Department of Egyptian Antiquities. The leaks also damaged a painted nineteenth-century ceiling inside the facility. In response to repeated maintenance and security challenges, the museum launched a broad renovation initiative. The comprehensive project includes blueprints for a new dedicated exhibition gallery specifically assigned to display Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, separating the painting from existing high-density circulation routes.
