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 stumbled over a barrier, quickly reached out to regain his balance and tore the fabric of the portrait - Photo: THE TELEGRAPH

According to The Telegraph , the director of the Uffizi Museum (Italy) has harshly criticized tourists who are addicted to taking photos to live a virtual life on social networks, after the incident occurred, seriously affecting 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 famous artist Anton Domenico Gabbiani in 1709.

It is understood that he intended to create a humorous photo by imitating the pose of the prince in the painting. However, as he approached, he tripped over a 30cm high barrier, hastily stretched out his hand to keep his balance and tore the fabric of the portrait.

The incident occurred on June 21 and was recorded by security cameras. The man’s identity has also been determined and reported to the police. He may be prosecuted and forced to pay for the cost of restoring the painting.

Simone Verde, director of the Uffizi museum, said it was the latest example of tourists using their visits to build their social media content.

"A visitor who wanted to create a meme by imitating the Medici prince's pose tore the canvas of the work," he said.

"The problem of visitors coming to the museum just to create memes or take selfies for social media has become rampant. We have developed very specific regulations to prevent behaviors that are not in line with respect for cultural heritage."

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

Tourists damaging Italy's cultural heritage is not uncommon, from carving initials into the walls of the Colosseum in Rome, to posing next to elaborate statues, to 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, a middle-aged man was caught on security camera sitting on and damaging a chair decorated with thousands of Swarovski crystals at a museum in Verona.

The footage shows the man joking with his wife, then sitting on the “Van Gogh” chair, causing it to collapse immediately. The couple then hurriedly left the gallery.

Vanessa Carlon, the museum's director, urged visitors to "respect the art" after the incident. "Sometimes we lose our minds because we want to take a beautiful photo, without thinking about the consequences," she said.

"Of course it was an accident, but these two people leaving without telling anyone - that's not an accident. This is a nightmare for any museum. Art has to be cherished and loved, because it's so fragile."

DAWN

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