Tourists take virtual photos and tear 17th-century oil painting

While posing for a photo at an art gallery in Florence, an Italian tourist tripped and tore the canvas of a 17th-century oil painting.

The man tripped over a barrier, hastily reached out to regain his balance, and accidentally tore the canvas of the portrait - Photo: THE TELEGRAPH

According to The Telegraph , the director of the Uffizi Museum (Italy) has strongly criticized tourists who are addicted to taking photos for social media, following an incident that seriously damaged the artwork.

A man asked his girlfriend to take a picture of him posing in front of a portrait of Prince Ferdinando de Medici at a museum in Florence, Tuscany. The work was painted by the famous artist Anton Domenico Gabbiani in 1709.

Apparently, he wanted to create a humorous photo by mimicking the pose of the prince in the painting. However, as he approached, he tripped over a barrier about 30 cm high, hastily extended his hand to maintain balance, and accidentally tore the canvas of the portrait.

The incident occurred on June 21st and was captured by security cameras. The man's identity has been confirmed and reported to the police. He may face criminal prosecution and be required to pay for the restoration of the painting.

Simone Verde, director of the Uffizi Museum, said this is the latest example of tourists exploiting tours to build content on their social media accounts.

"A tourist, wanting to create a meme by mimicking the pose of the Medici prince, tore the canvas of the artwork," he said.

"The problem of visitors coming to museums just to create memes or take selfies for social media has become rampant. We have established very specific regulations to prevent behavior that is inconsistent with respect for cultural heritage."

A portrait of Prince Ferdinando de Medici was torn by tourists - Photo: THE TELEGRAPH

Damage to Italy's cultural heritage by tourists is not uncommon, ranging from carving initials onto the walls of the Colosseum in Rome to posing next to exquisite statues and wading into Baroque fountains during the sweltering summer months.

This is the second time this month that tourists in Italy have damaged a work of art. A week ago, security cameras captured a middle-aged man sitting on and damaging a chair adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals at a museum in Verona.

The footage shows the man playfully interacting with his wife, then sitting on the "Van Gogh" chair, causing it to collapse immediately. The couple then quickly left the gallery.

Vanessa Carlon, the museum director, urged visitors to "respect art" after the incident. "Sometimes we lose our minds in the desire to get a good photo, without thinking about the consequences," she said.

"Of course it was an accident, but these two people left without telling anyone – that's not an accident. This is a nightmare for any museum. Art must be cherished and treasured, because it is incredibly fragile."

DAWN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/du-khach-song-ao-lam-rach-tranh-son-dau-co-tu-the-ky-17-20250623162410414.htm