Sacré Bleu!

Vandals attacked and seriously damaged a famous painting by Claude Monet at the Musée d'Orsay early Sunday morning.

A surveillance camera caught a group entering the museum, located on the Left Bank of the French capital along the Seine River and housing a major collection of Impressionist artists like Monet.

An alarm sounded and the group left, but not before damaging the painting, an aide to Culture Minister Christine Albanel said by telephone.

No arrests were immediately made.

Albanel told France-Info radio that the painting could be restored, but she deplored what she said was an attack on "our memory, our heritage."

"This splendid Monet painting (was) punched right in the middle," the minister said with emotion.

According to the aide, a 10-centimetre tear was made in the Monet, perhaps with a fist. The official, not authorized to speak publicly of the matter, asked not to be named.

It was not immediately clear how many people were in the group that broke into the museum.

Monet led the 19th century Impressionist movement, experimenting notably with light and colour in works now deemed priceless.

"Le Pont d'Argenteuil" shows a view of the Seine at a rural bend, featuring a bridge and boats.

I have no idea why someone would cause damage to that piece of art and can only hope that curators are able to restore the painting, though it will probably never be the same. Mrs. Lawhawk and I both got to see the painting in pristine form back in March.