The Parisian painters of the iconic Place du Tertre in Montmartre are displaying 'Endangered artist' signs in protest against a Paris city hall bill that would change the conditions for painters to get a pitch on the square.

The 250 artists working on the famous open-air art gallery will need to fill in a form, write a cover letter and gather examples of their work in an online portfolio.

The replacement of painting tests by an online application process worries artists, who fear they may be replaced by impostors who could send pictures of the works of others.

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Most are angry at the prospect of losing their pitch in the square that once hosted such famous artists as Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh, who sold their pieces there. 

Gerard Toulouzou, who started working on the Place du Tertre 51 years ago, when he was 15, said: "We, the veteran artists, we made the Place du Tertre. I don't see why new people would come here and take our place. It is unacceptable."

The new regulation is part of a 2017 European Union decree on commercial competition in the public domain that had not yet been implemented.

Jose Luis Leiva Chacon, the representative of the Place du Tertre artists and a painter himself, said they applied for a summary judgment against Paris city call.

"And, well, we hope we'll win the case because the way they are treating the artists really is unacceptable," he said.

A few artists have refused to display protest signs on their pitch. Pavlos Fassolis is one of them. For him, the bill is a good way to make sure the artists who remain on the square are legitimate.

"The painters who have things to hide, they are scared. The others aren't scared," he told Reuters.

The Paris administrative court's decision on the artists' situation is expected to be known on July 5 or July 6.

Video editor: Natalia Luz

Cover image: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters