Snowdon,Llanberis,North Wales - Snowdon's 'floating' artwork targeted by vandals

Left, artist Anthony Garratt preparing the painting on Snowdon and right (top and bottom), pictures showing vandals purportedly throwing rocks at the artwork

Vandals have been seen targeting a painting floating in a lake on the highest mountain in England and Wales.12-foot painting of the mountain by artist Anthony Garratt has been placed on Llyn Llydaw as part of a new art project

The huge 12-foot artwork of Snowdon by Artist Anthony Garratt has been placed on a pontoon and floated into a secluded bay in Llyn Llydaw.

The lake lies about a mile and a half from the Pen-y-Pass car park and just off the Miners Track which leads to the summit of Snowdon.

But just days after the work was finished, vandals have been photographed picking up stones from the nearby path and throwing them at the painting.

One Daily Post reader took these images at around 1pm on Wednesday.

He said: “The painting wasn’t hit by these lads but they weren’t far off it.”

The incident has not been reported to North Wales Police or the Snowdonia National Park Authority.

Another reader said he was astonished to see two young men and a young woman attacking the artwork on the same day.

"I don’t know what they thought they were doing and what they though they might achieve by damaging the artwork.

READ: A walk around Llyn Padarn Llanberis is the perfect seasonal pick me up

“They are mindless vandals and should be ashamed of themselves for their behaviour,” he said.

Earlier this month Mr Garratt said he hoped the painting, part of his High and Low project, would be seen by some 250,000 walkers during the summer.

Another painting has been placed in an underground chamber at the Llechwedd slate quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog as part of the project.

Artist Anthony Garratt preparing the painting (left and bottom right). Top right, the artwork in situ on Llyn Llydaw

Mr Garratt added: “Both of these sites have great historical and geographical significance. Because the paintings were created in situ and then seen in context, they offer a very different way for the viewer to engage with both the art and the landscape which inspired it.”

It is the second incident of vandalism on Snowdon in recent weeks.

Last month a digger parked half way up the mountain on the Llanberis Path was trashed in a random attack.

READ: Can you see 'Lady Snowdon' in this Gwynedd mountain?

The machine, owned by the Snowdonia National Park Authority, was being used to carry out repairs on the path.

Police are still investigating.