THIS is the embarrassing moment a man sits down on a crystal-studded ‘Van Gogh’ chair for a picture – only for it to buckle beneath him.

The two senseless visitors caused “serious damage” to the valuable artwork, the Italian art gallery revealed.

The chair, designed by Italian artist Nicola Bolla, is adorned with hundreds of Swarovski crystals making it “extremely fragile and delicate”, according to local media.

In the shocking CCTV footage, a man and woman can be seen waiting for security to leave the room at Maffei Palace in Verona, before posing for the snap that ended in disaster.

The two senseless visitors caused “serious damage” to the valuable artwork

While the woman appears to hover over the chair to avoid placing her weight on it, the man daringly decides to take a seat.

The chair instantly breaks apart, with the man left reaching his arms back towards the walls for support.

The pair then surreptitiously scurry out of the room, leaving the artwork in a crooked state.

Following the incident, the museum released a statement on its social media accounts.

It read: “Every museum’s nightmare has become reality, even in Palazzo Maffei.

“Waiting for the surveillance officers to come out, some visitors took an “in effect” photo. 

“The result? An irresponsible gesture caused serious damage to Nicola Bolla’s “Van Gogh” chair, a very delicate work, covered entirely with hundreds of Swarovski crystals.”

The museum explained that thanks to “restorers who did a fantastic job”, along with Italian law enforcement, “the piece is shining once again”.

It added: “We are sharing this episode not only for the sake of reporting, but to start a real campaign to raise awareness about the value of art and the respect it deserves.

“A heartfelt thank you goes to the police, our security department and the restaurateurs, whose valuable work allowed the recovery of the work.

“And a special thank you to all of you who walk through the museum halls every day with care, attention and wonder.

“Because art is not just for seeing. It is to be loved. It is to be protected.”

It comes as a tourist recently smashed two priceless statues after jumping a railing around the Terracotta Army in the Chinese city of Xi’An.