On 14 September 1975, the work was attacked with a bread knife by an unemployed school teacher, Wilhelmus de Rijk, resulting in several large zig-zagged slashes up to 30 cm long. De Rijk, who suffered from mental illness, claimed he "did it for the Lord" and that he "was ordered to do it." The painting was successfully restored after four years, but some evidence of the damage is still visible up close. De Rijk was never charged, as he committed suicide in April 1976.