The director of an art gallery in Florence has criticised a tourist for ripping the canvas of a historic painting while taking a selfie and has vowed to crack down on visitors posing next to artwork.
Simone Verde, the director of the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, said the tourist will be prosecuted after damaging a portrait of Ferdinando de’ Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany.
The over 300-year-old artwork, on display in the ground-floor rooms hosting the Florence and Europe: Arts of the 18th Century exhibition, now has a hole torn in the bottom of the canvas where the prince’s right boot is painted.
The visitor to the gallery was trying to assume the same pose as the subject while posing for a photograph, but stepped backwards and appeared to have lost his balance.
The incident occurred when he was visiting on Saturday 21 June, with a video from the day showing the man posing before appearing to lean his hand on the painting while his toes went into the air.
The painting has been removed for repair, with experts stating that the damage was relatively minor; however, the visitor was identified by the museum and reported to the police for causing culpable damage.
Mr Verde said that the damage to the painting is part of a wider issue of visitors’ dedication to taking photos for their social media, The Times reports.
He added: “The problem of visitors coming to museums to make memes or take selfies for social media is rampant: we will set very precise limits, preventing behaviour that is not compatible with the sense of our institutions and respect for cultural heritage.
“The tourist, who was immediately identified, will be prosecuted.”
A trade union representing museum workers said that the tourist had in fact tripped on a low platform intended to keep visitors at a distance from the painting.
It said it had previously highlighted to the museum that the platforms posed a risk after another visitor had tripped, but did not cause any damage.
“Visitors are looking at the paintings, not at the ground. Those platforms are unsuitable and too dark,” said Silvia Barlacchi, a staff representative.
The incident comes a week after a tourist in Verona shattered a chair covered in Swarovski crystals after sitting on the art piece.
CCTV footage showed a man and a woman inside the Palazzo Maffei art museum in Verona, posing for pictures by the piece by Nicola Bolla, with the woman pretending to sit on the chair.
The man then sits on it before the artwork collapses, and the pair leave the room.
“An irresponsible gesture caused serious damage to Nicola Bolla’s ‘Van Gogh’ chair, a very delicate work,” the museum said, later adding that the chair was able to be repaired.
The Independent has contacted the Uffizi Galleries for further comment.
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