Two tourists are facing police complaints after damaging a fragile artwork at a museum in Italy — all for the sake of a photo.
The incident occurred at Palazzo Maffei in Verona, where surveillance footage captured a man and woman interacting with a crystal-covered sculpture titled “Van Gogh’s Chair” by artist Nicola Bolla. The artwork, shimmering with hundreds of Swarovski crystals, was left crushed and broken after one of the tourists lost his balance and fell on it.
According to museum officials, the woman first squatted near the chair, seemingly careful not to make contact. However, the man went further — sitting on the artwork and then stumbling backwards, collapsing the delicate frame beneath him. The pair then quickly fled the room without alerting any staff members.
The “Van Gogh Chair”, a tribute to Vincent van Gogh’s 1888 painting of a simple wooden chair, is crafted from a hollow foil frame and described by the museum as “extremely fragile.” Though it appears sturdy, it was clearly marked with “Do Not Touch” signs, which the visitors reportedly ignored.
Palazzo Maffei, calling the event “every museum’s nightmare,” filed a police report following the incident, which reportedly happened in April but was only revealed this month. The couple remains unidentified.
Museum director Vanessa Carlon commented, “Of course it was an accident, but these two people left without speaking to us — that isn’t an accident.”
Despite the damage, the chair has since been repaired, and artist Nicola Bolla told Fanpage magazine that while the act was “idiotic,” he also saw a strange “positive side.”
“It’s like a kind of performance. Ordinary people can do it too, not just artists,” he said.
