9/11 Truther Defaces Iconic Louvre Painting

'Liberty Leading the People' said to have inspired Statue of Liberty
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 8, 2013 2:22 PM CST
9/11 Truther Defaces Iconic Louvre Painting
France President Francois Hollande stands in front of "Liberty Leading the People," a painting by Eugene Delacroix, during the inauguration of the Lens, France, branch of the Louvre, Dec. 4, 2012.   (AP Photo/Michel Spingler, File)

A 28-year-old woman has been arrested after museum guards caught her scribbling graffiti on an iconic Eugene Delacroix painting at the newly-opened Louvre branch in Lens, France. The 1830 painting, dubbed "Liberty Leading the People," was featured on France's pre-euro 100-franc note, and reportedly inspired the Statue of Liberty, the BBC reports. What the woman wrote hasn't been disclosed, but officials say it is a reference to a 9/11 conspiracy theory.

The woman's identity has not been released, but a local prosecutor described her as "unstable," and said she had a "French-sounding name." Museum officials say there's a chance the painting can be "easily cleaned," but they're summoning a restoration expert to find out. The Lens branch has been open only since December, and it had the famous painting on a year-long loan. (More France stories.)

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