A painting by the noted French Impressionist artist Claude Monet has been seriously damaged after an argument at a gallery in Paris. The picture, Le Pont d'Argenteuil was torn in half and urinated upon.
The incident occurred at the Musee d'Orsay on Sunday when two people viewing the work began arguing about how to pronounce the artist's name.
Monsieur Bernard Garlic told his wife, Isabelle, that it was 'Monay', whereas his wife reasoned that it was 'Monitt'.
After several minutes of dispute, the pair began brawling, and M. Garlic reached up and grabbed the priceless piece, whereupon he ripped it down the centre and threw it on the floor. His liberally-minded wife then dropped her knickers and relieved herself on it.
Monet was the most famous French Impressionist and, at his zenith, probably even rivalled the British artist, Stockport's Mike Yarwood.
It's not the first time fine art has been attacked. Last year a work by Marcel Duchamp was thrown out of window onto traffic, and in February a woman painted lipstick on the Mona Lisa.
French Culture Minister Christine Onions said that the latest incident was "an attack on French culture" and that the Garlics should be guillotined.
