A female artist who strips off in museums has been arrested for exhibitionism after she revealed all in front of the Mona Lisa in Paris.

Deborah de Robertis spread her naked legs in front of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece on Sunday, shouting 'Mona Lisa, my p****, my copyright' as stunned tourists looked on.

Robertis, who holds dual French and Luxembourg nationalities, allegedly bit a security guard's jacket as they attempted to drag her away from the Louvre museum.

Robertis said her 'goal' was not to 'exhibit' her genitals but to copy a photograph by Valie Export, an Austrian performance artist who is famous for performing similar stunts in the 1970s

Deborah de Robertis spread her legs in front of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece on Sunday, shouting 'Mona Lisa, my p****, my copyright' as stunned tourists looked on

Robertis told AFP that her 'goal' was not to 'exhibit' her genitals but to copy a photograph by Valie Export, an Austrian performance artist who is famous for performing similar stunts in the 1970s.

She said: 'My message is to question the place of women artists in the history of art. That's why it's necessary to do my performances in museums.'

Robertis was in custody for two day before she was seen by a judge. She faces trial on October 18 on charges of sexual exhibitionism and assault.

Robertis's lawyer Marie Dose said: 'The legal approach to this affair is scandalous.

'It's not exhibitionism if there is no wish to assault someone sexually, which is completely contrary to the work of this performance artist.'

Robertis went on trial in February but was acquitted when a judge ruled a similar act to the one she performed at the Decorative Arts Museum and the Museum of European Photography in Paris were deemed artistic performances.

She was arrested in January 2016 for indecent exposure at the Orsay Musum and in May 2014, again at the Orsay.

Robertis was in custody for two day before she was seen by a judge. She faces trial on October 18 on charges of sexual exhibitionism and assault

Robertis, who holds dual French and Luxembourg nationalities, allegedly bit a security guard's jacket as they attempted to drag her away from the Louvre museum