Climate protesters threw soup over Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" painting at the National Gallery in London on Friday in protest against fossil fuel extraction, but they did not cause noticeable damage to the glass-covered painting.

The group Just Stop Oil, which wants the British government to stop new oil and gas projects, said activists threw two bottles of tomato soup over the oil painting, one of the most famous works by the Dutch artist.

The two protesters also glued themselves to the gallery wall. The soup splattered on the glass covering the painting and its gilded frame.

The gallery officials said, "Some minor damage occurred to the frame but the painting was not damaged."

The work is one of several versions of "Sunflowers" that van Gogh painted in the late 1880s.

London's Metropolitan Police said officers arrested two people on suspicion of criminal damage and grievous bodily harm to others' property.

The police added in a statement, "Specialized officers have now unglued them and they have been detained at a central London police station."

The wave of protests comes as the British government opens a new licensing round for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, despite criticism from environmental advocates and scientists who say this move undermines the country's commitment to combat climate change.