Child Damages 50 Million Euro American Painting

India-West News Desk

NEW YORK, NY – A child has caused damage to a multi-million-euro painting by American artist Mark Rothko at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, according to the BBC.

The child, reportedly under the age of five years old, had simply waved a hand too close to the canvas during what the museum later called an “unguarded moment.”

The museum confirmed that Rothko’s Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8, which was on display in its publicly accessible Depot, suffered superficial scratches to the lower part of the unvarnished paint layer.

Valued at up to €50 million, the painting was part of an exhibition featuring public favourites from the museum’s collection.

The restoration process is expected to be challenging due to Rothko’s complex mix of pigments, resins, and glues.

The BBC noted that the museum is currently considering its next steps regarding the artwork’s treatment. The institution has previously held visitors accountable for damaging artworks. In 2011, it requested compensation from a tourist who stepped on Pindakaasvloer, an installation by Wim T. Schippers.

Similar incidents have occurred in other museums. In October 2012, Rothko’s Black on Maroon was vandalised at London’s Tate Modern. More recently, in August, a four-year-old accidentally shattered a 3,500-year-old jar at the Hecht Museum in Israel. In that case, the museum did not treat the matter severely and later invited the family back for a guided tour.