A visitor has damaged a 17th-century painting at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence after stumbling back into it while posing for a photo, the museum told CNN in a statement.
The visitor was visiting the world-famous museum on Saturday when he accidentally damaged a portrait of Tuscan prince Ferdinando de’ Medici, which was painted some time around 1695-1700 by Anton Domenico Gabbiani, the museum said on Monday.
In widely circulated security camera footage of the incident, a man can be seen posing in front of the oil painting before leaning back and then quickly jumping up as he realises he touched it.
Pictures later published by local media showed a small tear in the painting around the area of the nobleman’s ankle.
The visitor, who hasn’t been publicly identified, was reported to the authorities. Meanwhile, the painting was removed from the exhibition for repair works, although the museum said the damage was “light” and it will be displayed again soon.
The incident prompted Simone Verde, director of the Uffizi Galleries, to issue a statement condemning “the problem of visitors who come to museums to make memes or take selfies for social media.”
“We will set very precise limits, preventing behaviors that are not compatible with the sense of our institutions and respect for cultural heritage,” he added in a statement sent to CNN.
Museum-goers accidentally damaging exhibits in the pursuit of the perfect photo appears to be an increasing problem for the institutions. Just last week, a crystal-covered chair inspired by one of Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous paintings was seriously damaged when a tourist sat on it while posing for a photograph at a museum in Verona.
In April, a child damaged a huge painting by Mark Rothko, thought to be worth tens of millions of dollars, while visiting a Dutch museum.
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