For example, take Rembrandt's Night Watch:
The painting dates to 1642 and is on display in Amsterdam. Although I'm a big fan of Rembrandt, not everyone seems to share that feeling.
For instance, in 1911, a Dutch man recently discharged from the navy attacked the painting with a knife.
Clearly, having the same idea, in 1975, a disgruntled (probably also delusional) unemployed schoolteacher named Wilhelmus de Rijk decided to go at the painting with a bread knife. He apparently got in more than a dozen slashes before he was dragged away by guards (they must have burlier and less old museum guards in Amsterdam than America), screaming "I have been sent by the Lord!" Well alright then.
At this point, the museum decided that the painting needed constant guarding (haha, the Night Watch needed a night watch), which was probably a good choice, considering that in 1990, another man started spraying acid on the painting. Since they already had guards posted, they snatched him away and doused the painting in water fast enough to avoid damage (the acid only managed to eat away the varnish layer, not to get at the paint).
I don't know about you, but I find it completely surprising that this many people want to attack the poor Night Watch. I mean, what did it ever do to you? Nothing. Also, its not like its an extremely controversial or shocking painting.
So, please it you are on a brief holiday from the insane asylum, or if you suddenly decide that you other personality/ies despise art, please take yourself to a modern art museum (after all, some of those artists are alive, they can just whip something new up). Better yet, do to one of those outdoor sculpture installations that sit around in cities (generally, they are ugly and made of metal, so it would be hard to mess up).
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