Artwork targeted in protest back on display at Crawford Art Gallery

The George Atkinson watercolour 'Anatomical Study' in the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, which was attacked when a protestor threw soup at it.

The artwork in Cork’s Crawford Gallery which had soup thrown over it is back on display and will feature in forthcoming tours.

The targeted work, a George Atkinson watercolour of a skeleton, was glazed and no actual damage was done to it, according to the gallery.

Thursday's attack was the latest in a string of attacks in galleries and museums around the world.

It happened the same day The International Council of Museums, on behalf of 92 worldwide institutions, urged protestors targeting works of art to consider their actions.

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Falling short of asking them to stop, the statement read: “The activists responsible for them severely underestimate the fragility of these irreplaceable objects, which must be preserved as part of our world cultural heritage.

The soup attack is understood to be connected with environmental protests around the world against fossil fuel and oil mining.

“As museum directors entrusted with the care of these works, we have been deeply shaken by their risky endangerment.”

The watercolour at the centre of the Cork attack is entitled Anatomical Study and was painted in around 1900 by Mr Atkinson, who was a native of Cobh, Co Cork.

He studied at the Crawford School of Art from 1897, and was also headmaster of the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art and was first director of National College of Art and Design.

A spokesperson said: “We are delighted to announce that, following yesterday’s incident, George Atkinson’s Anatomical Study is back on display and our Drawing Room exhibition and has reopened to the public.”

Delighted to announce that, following yesterday’s incident, George Atkinson’s Anatomical Study is back on display and our DRAWING ROOM exhibition has reopened to the public!

We are grateful to our team for their care of this artwork and ensuring that it is safe to re-exhibit. pic.twitter.com/bLFYsfbuYo

— Crawford Art Gallery (@CrawfordArtGall) November 11, 2022

It’s still not clear why the soup was thrown in the first place, although it is understood to be connected to other environmental protests around the world against oil and other fossil fuels.

A person who was in the gallery at the time told the Irish Examiner: “I arrived in the room shortly after the protestor was brought to the ground.

“The man was trying to say his message, although he had the full weight of one of the Crawford staff on him so I didn't catch much.”

A man in his 20s was arrested following the attack.

It is also not clear what flavour soup was used or how it was brought into the gallery on Thursday evening as liquids are not permitted inside.

The artwork will now be incorporated into the Crawford Art Gallery’s free tours every Sunday at 2pm and also at 6.30pm on Thursday to celebrate its safe reinstatement.

A garda spokesperson said: “A man aged in his 20s was arrested at the scene and later detained at Bridewell Garda Station.

“The man has since been charged, and is set to appear before Cork City Court on November 23, 2022.”