When Columbus Met Climate Activism
Biodegradable red paint finds a monumental canvas
Image: Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
- Repair Cost
- Minimal (protected)
- Curator's Blood Pressure
- 84%
- Embarrassment Level
- 5/10
- Recovered?
- Yes
- Selfie Involved?
- No
Two activists from Futuro Vegetal threw biodegradable red paint at José Garnelo's 1892 'First Tribute to Christopher Columbus' before unfurling banners protesting Spain's National Day.
In October 2025 Garnelo's monumental canvas became the latest masterpiece swept into Europe's wave of climate protests. The activists doused the painting's protected surface in red paint and raised banners linking the National Day celebrations to the climate crisis.
Conservation measures and a quick staff response spared the work permanent damage. As with many recent actions, the protesters insisted they were attacking political inaction, not art. The episode captured a growing strategy: iconic paintings are chosen precisely because museums guarantee what every protest craves most — an audience.