Washington, DC—Today a priceless work of art in our collection, Degas’s original wax Little Dancer, was attacked by protestors with swaths of red and black paint.  After attacking the Degas sculpture, they made statements about climate issues.

The work was displayed in a plexiglass case and has been taken off view so that our expert conservation team can assess potential damage to it. Gallery 3, where Little Dancer was on display, and several connecting galleries on the ground floor of the West Building were closed for the remainder of the day. As of Friday, April 28, gallery 3 has reopened.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the investigation, which is still active.

We unequivocally denounce this physical attack on one of our works of art and will continue to share information as it becomes available.

The safety and security of our staff and visitors and of our collection remain our highest priority.

-Kaywin Feldman, Director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington