Climate activist charged with vandalism of valuable Derain painting

A climate activist faces charges for significant vandalism after throwing orange paint at a valuable André Derain painting at the National Gallery of Denmark in December 2024. The artwork, "Woman in a chemise," is considered one of the museum's ten most significant highlights and is valued in the hundreds of millions.

The woman, identified as a climate activist, is accused of committing the act in concert with two others. Her trial is scheduled to take place at the Copenhagen City Court in November. The incident involved the painting being targeted with orange paint, though it was protected behind glass. The paint primarily damaged the ornate frame surrounding the artwork, necessitating restoration work that cost 15,354.22 kroner.

"Woman in a chemise," painted in 1906, depicts a red-haired dancer from the famous Parisian nightclub Le Rat Mort. The dancer is shown half-undressed, resting her head in her hand and looking directly at the viewer. Derain created this piece during the summer of 1905 while working alongside his elder colleague Henri Matisse in Collioure, in the south of France. The National Gallery of Denmark acquired the 100x81 centimeter painting in 1928.

Dorthe Aagesen, a senior inspector at the museum, described the painting as both "very nonchalant in its execution and yet incredibly confident. It is a complete picture and at the same time a strong signal of what French modernism is." Despite the damage to the frame, the painting itself remains intact, a testament to the protective measures in place.

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The painting is both very nonchalant in its execution and yet incredibly confident. It is a complete picture and at the same time a strong signal of what French modernism is.