Tourist breaks "Van Gogh's chair" in Verona

In the Italian museum Palazzo Maffei in Verona, a tourist broke an art object - a modern crystal interpretation of "Vincent's Chair with Pipe".

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to CNN, the incident occurred when a man sat on the exhibit to take a photo. Surveillance camera footage shows two tourists - a man and a woman - taking turns posing near the installation. Then the man sat on the chair, which couldn't bear the weight and broke - the seat cracked and the front legs collapsed. After that, the couple quickly left the hall.

The installation was created by Italian artist Nicola Bolla. His "Van Gogh chair," created in 2006-2007, is covered with hundreds of Swarovski crystals. The work was inspired by Van Gogh's 1888 painting depicting a simple wooden chair.

"What you just saw would be funny if, unfortunately, it hadn't actually happened. This is the worst nightmare for any museum," commented museum director Vanessa Carlon on the incident. Initially, there were concerns that the delicate structure would be impossible to restore, however, restorers managed to return it to its original appearance.

The identity of the violator has not yet been established. The museum has handed the case over to the police.

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