Child damages $56 million painting at Dutch museum

A large painting by artist Mark Rothko at a Dutch museum was damaged after a child touched it while visiting.

The painting 'Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8' by Mark Rothko is on display at the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam, Netherlands - Photo: ALAMY

According to CNN, a painting by famous artist Mark Rothko, valued at about 56 million USD, was damaged at the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam (Netherlands) after a child accidentally touched it while visiting.

The damaged work is "Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8" from 1960, measuring 2.3m long, 2.6m high and 2.3m wide.

According to the museum's announcement, a child touched the painting while no one was looking, causing the painting to have slight scratches on the lower part of the paint that was not covered with varnish - a type of paint that is applied to the surface of paintings, wood, or other materials to protect and add shine.

“We have sought assistance from national and international conservation experts. We are currently working on the next steps to restore the painting and look forward to re-displaying it in the near future,” the museum said.

The museum declined to reveal the child’s identity. They also would not comment on who would be responsible for the cost of repairing the damage or the current value of the painting.

The museum said the value of a work by a famous artist like Rothko would depend on the condition, size, frame and would require expert valuation from an international auction house.

Latvian-American artist Mark Rothko, who died in 1970, was famous for his color field paintings. His works often fetch millions of dollars at auction. In 2012, Rothko's "Orange, Red, Yellow" sold for a record $86.9 million.

This incident poses a challenge for museums in balancing between opening their doors to families and young children - to encourage an early love of art - and protecting valuable works.

Mr. Maxwell Blowfield, an expert in the museum field, commented that although most museums have taken reasonable measures to protect artifacts, accidents are still inevitable, especially with the large number of visitors every day.

This is not the first time the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen has had to deal with damage to its artwork. In 2011, visitors accidentally stepped on the Peanut-Butter Platform artwork, causing peanut butter to be dragged across the floor. Those responsible were then asked to pay for the cleaning costs.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mot-dua-tre-lam-hu-buc-tranh-56-trieu-usd-o-bao-tang-ha-lan-20250429115306312.htm