Art lover fined for kissing painting in France

MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - An art lover who kissed a $2-million (980,866 pound) painting, leaving red lipstick smears on the canvas, was fined by a French court on Friday and ordered to carry out 100 hours of community work.

Cambodian-born Rindy Sam told the court in the southern French city of Avignon that she was "overcome with passion" when she saw the painting by U.S. artist Cy Twombly hanging in a gallery and spontaneously kissed the picture.

The picture's owner, Yvon Lambert, demanded $2 million in damages and a further 33,400 euros (23,963 pounds) to pay for the restoration.

The court ordered her to pay 1,000 euros in damages to the painting's owner, 500 euros to the gallery owner and a symbolic one euro to the artist.

Sam, in her 30s, said earlier this year she thought her lipstick had improved the painting -- a pure, white canvas.

($1=.6836 Euro)

(Reporting by Jean-Francois Rosnoblet, Writing Crispian Balmer; Editing by James Mackenzie)