...

Logo Yotel Air CDG
in partnership with
Logo Nextory

Greek lawmaker attacks ‘offensive’ paintings in Athens' National Gallery

Culture • Mar 11, 2025, 7:53 AM
1 min de lecture
1

Greece's National Gallery said a Greek lawmaker attacked four paintings in an exhibition at the museum in Athens, including one he had previously criticized as offensive on religious grounds.

The National Gallery - Alexandros Soutsos Museum shut down after the attack, with visitors turned away.

Police detained Nikolaos Papadopoulos - of the small right-wing, ultra-religious Niki party which holds 10 of parliament’s 300 seats - for several hours on Monday before releasing him.

The museum issued a statement saying Papadopoulos and one other person attacked the paintings that were part of an exhibition of Greek artists titled “The Allure of the Bizarre,” throwing them to the floor and shattering glass in the frames.

The exhibition includes works that caricature religious icons and themes, and runs as an accompaniment to a display of 80 engravings by the Spanish master Francisco Goya.

Papadopoulos previously said in parliament that one of the Greek paintings was offensive to Orthodox Christianity, the predominant religion in Greece, asserting that it insulted the Virgin Mary and Christ.

“I took down four icons, four blasphemous icons, and in two of those ... the glass pane broke, nothing else,” Papadopoulos told reporters after he was released. He said works at the exhibition “insult the Virgin Mary, St George ... the archangels that we in our homes were taught to worship and respect.”

In a statement issued Monday evening, the gallery's board of directors said it “unreservedly condemn(s) every act of vandalism, violence and censorship which violate the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression.”


Today

900-year-old Vatican doomsday prophecy resurfaces amid Pope Francis’ illness
Culture • 2:07 PM
7 min
According to a 900-year-old book in the Vatican, 'Judgement Day' may be upon us soon, and Pope Francis might be the last leader of the Church.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/03/14/900
Read the article
The joy of six: Donatella Versace's best looks that changed the face of fashion
Culture • 1:36 PM
12 min
As the imperious creative director steps down from the Italian fashion house, we take a look at some of the most iconic looks Versace produced under Donatella's stewardship.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https://www.euro
Read the article
Lumière and Cannes head Thierry Frémaux on celebrating the 130 years of cinema in 2025
Culture • 11:24 AM
31 min
Euronews Culture sits down with Thierry Frémaux to discuss the 130-year anniversary of the invention of cinema, his new film honouring the legacy of the Lumière brothers, and the threats cinema faces in its second centenary.<div class="small-12 column tex
Read the article
Can’t Buy Me Love? John Lennon gets honoured by Royal Mint on what would have been his 85th year
Culture • 8:36 AM
5 min
Money can’t buy you love, but £18.50 (€22) can buy you a newly minted John Lennon coin...<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/03/14/cant-buy-me-love-john-lennon-gets-honoured-by-royal-mint
Read the article
Gene Hackman's estate asks court to block release of death investigation records
Culture • 7:51 AM
5 min
Gene Hackman's estate attempts to block the release of photographs and footage from the investigation into the Oscar winner and his wife's death, citing a desire to protect the couple's privacy.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a h
Read the article
Paris Fashion Week: Get ready-to-wear sexy, seductive and spectacular clothes this winter
Culture • 6:47 AM
26 min
Facing a luxury spending slump, designers are pushing ‘beyond’ on all levels. Paris Fashion Week A/W 25 was awash with an array of concepts and intricate craftsmanship that defy neat trend buckets.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button">
Read the article
Europe's oldest human face found in Atapuerca: 'We may be looking at a new species'
Culture • 6:15 AM
10 min
The discovery is particularly important as it places the arrival of the first populations in Europe before the 'Homo antecessors', whose remains date back approximately 860,000 years. It is a key piece in understanding the evolution of humans on the conti
Read the article
clipping. - ‘Dead Channel Sky’: Euronews Culture's verdict
Culture • 12:19 AM
5 min
The experimental hip-hop trio are back with a new concept album which propels the listener into a cyberpunk club. It’s an ambitious and occasionally thrilling dystopian rave that may be too messy for its own good.<div class="small-12 column text-center ar
Read the article