The gallery has slammed the tourists on social media
How does that Don McLean song go again? I think it starts with something like ‘scary, scary sight. Don’t sit your bottom here today. Run away before you have to pay.’
Well, that’s pretty much what happened in a Verona art gallery not too long ago when some starry-eyed tourists liked a piece called ‘Van Gogh’s chair’, but they ended up breaking the crystallized artwork after sitting on it.
Poor Van Gogh has really been through a lot lately, especially since Just Stop Oil protestors decided to throw a can of soup on his famous sunflower painting. Wouldn’t that have been a better fit for Andy Warhol?
While that was definitely on purpose, it’s most people’s worst nightmare to accidentally ruin some beautiful artwork, like a US woman did with a £35,000 balloon dog sculpture.
Sometimes accidents can be super expensive, and sadly for the Maffei Palace in Italy, there was no one to stop two tourists who thought it would be a good idea to try out what is probably one of the world’s most expensive chairs.
The ‘Van Gogh’ chair is a piece by Italian artist Nicola Bolla, covered in hundreds of Swarovski crystals, which makes it ‘extremely fragile and delicate’. It’s dedicated to the famous Dutch painter whose chair painting is one of his most well-known works.
The painting which the artwork is based on (VCG Wilson/Corbis via Getty Images)
While the girl tourist managed to snap a picture where it looked like she was sitting on the chair, her guy friend didn’t do so well. He seemed to lose his balance and ended up breaking the chair when he fell back on it. It was no surprise that they left pretty fast after that.
After the incident, the museum’s social media shared a message talking about the ‘nightmare’ situation.
They mentioned: “Every museum’s nightmare has come true, even at Palazzo Maffei.”
@lovinmaltaofficial A couple has come under scrutiny after damaging a crystal-covered art piece while posing for photos at the Palazzo Maffei museum in Verona, Italy. The incident took place in April, but CCTV footage was released on 12th June, showing the pair’s actions inside the gallery.CCTV footage released by the museum shows the unidentified tourists taking pictures of each other beside the “Van Gogh” chair, created by Italian artist Nicola Bolla. The man appears to lose his balance while pretending to sit, crashing down and breaking two legs and the main seat. The pair then left the museum without notifying staff.“Of course it was an accident,” said museum director Vanessa Carlon, “but these two people left without speaking to us — that isn’t an accident. This is a nightmare for any museum.” The artwork, covered in Swarovski crystals and inspired by Van Gogh’s painting of a simple chair, was placed on a pedestal with a warning sign not to touch. Museum staff said the piece has now been repaired.Art historian Carlotta Menegazzo explained the chair, though it looks solid, is hollow and fragile. “It’s quite clear it’s not a real chair,” she noted. The museum has reported the incident to police. Carlon urged visitors to “enter art places in a more respectful way” and remember that “art is very fragile.” Have you ever seen a tourist or local damage anything at a museum?
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While waiting for the surveillance officers to come out, some visitors snapped an “in effect” photo.
What happened? A careless action led to significant harm to Nicola Bolla’s “Van Gogh” chair, which is a very fragile piece, completely adorned with hundreds of Swarovski crystals.
Luckily, thanks to the ‘restorers who did an amazing job’ and help from Italian law enforcement, the museum announced that ‘the piece is shining once again’.
The tourists made a swift exit (Facebook/Palazzo Maffei Verona)
They mentioned: “We are sharing this episode not just to report, but to kick off a real campaign to help people understand how important art is and the respect it should get.
“A big thank you goes to the police, our security team, and the restaurant owners, whose hard work made it possible to recover the artwork.
“And a special thanks to everyone who walks through the museum every day with care, attention, and amazement.
“Because art isn’t just for looking at. It’s meant to be loved. It’s meant to be protected.”
So, the next time you want to take a break in a gallery, try sitting on the wooden benches instead of the chair that’s covered in crystals.
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Palazzo Maffei Verona