The portrait of Ferdinando de' Medici (centre) was damaged by a visitor to the Uffizi Galleries.
Share and Follow

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 said 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.
The portrait of Ferdinando de' Medici (centre) was damaged by a visitor to the Uffizi Galleries.
The portrait of Ferdinando de’ Medici (centre) was damaged by a visitor to the Uffizi Galleries. (Uffizi)
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 behaviours 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.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
(L-R): Li Qiang, Kim Jong Un,  Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, Dmitry Medvedev

North Korea Unveils Latest Long-Range Missile During Military Parade

At a massive military parade attended by foreign leaders, North Korean leader…
The Albion Park community is mourning husband and wife Andrew and Julieanne Connors, and their family friend Colin McLaughlin.

'Lived life to the fullest': Tributes to trio killed in light plane crash

The Albion Park community is mourning husband and wife Andrew and Julieanne…
Delivery rider porsche crash Bangor Bypass Sydney

Delivery rider hospitalised after crash with Porsche allegedly in police pursuit

A delivery rider in Sydney has been hospitalised after being involved in…
Edge Early Learning

Whistleblower Alleges Serious Safety Issues at Troubled Childcare Chain

A former insider from the embattled Adelaide childcare chain Edge Early Learning…
For mother-of-three Angela Finch each day is not about spending or saving but struggle and survival.

Soaring number of Aussies living in poverty, study reveals

There’s an urgent call to help those in poverty, as new figures…
Five teenagers charged after father and son allegedly stabbed

Five teenagers charged after father and son allegedly stabbed

Five teenagers, some as young as 14, have been charged after a…
Steve Hui warned Aussies there are big changes coming to the way we earn frequent flyer points.

Betting on using frequent flyer points for a holiday? Think again

Steve Hui is known as the “Points Whisperer”, one of the Australia’s…
President Donald Trump, left, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping  on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan.

China warns of countermeasures if Trump doesn't walk back tariff threat

Beijing has vowed countermeasures against Washington if US President Donald Trump makes…