In April, two tourists at Palazzo Maffei Casa Museo in Verona, Italy, accidentally destroyed a fragile crystal-covered sculpture while taking photos. The piece, called Van Gogh’s Chair, was created by Italian artist Nicola Bolla between 2006 and 2007. It was inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s 1888 painting, Van Gogh’s Chair, which shows a simple wooden seat in a sparsely furnished room.
Bolla’s version of the chair was covered in hundreds of Swarovski crystals and designed to look light and delicate. The sculpture had no internal support and was not meant to be touched or sat on. Still, the visitors ignored the posted warnings, and the artwork collapsed.
Key Takeaways
- Two tourists broke Nicola Bolla’s fragile Swarovski crystal-covered Van Gogh’s Chair at Palazzo Maffei in Verona while attempting to take photos.
- Security footage showed the man accidentally sitting on the chair, causing it to collapse, after both ignored clear “Do not sit” signs in Italian and English.
- The museum restored the artwork, released the video to promote respect for art, and stated that the couple left without reporting the damage.
Security Footage Shows the Tourists Breaking the Artwork
According to surveillance footage released by the museum in June, the couple entered the gallery and appeared to wait until a security guard left. The woman first posed near the sculpture, crouching as if to sit, while the man took her photo.
Then, the man tried to copy her pose. But instead of hovering, he leaned too far back and accidentally sat on the chair. The fragile front legs immediately gave out, and the chair collapsed. He tried to grab a nearby wall to stay upright, but the damage had already been done.
Afterward, the woman helped him up. Without reporting the damage, the couple slowly walked out of the gallery, down the museum’s Baroque staircase, and out into Piazza Erbe, the busy square outside the building. The museum staff discovered the damage only after the pair had left.
The museum waited to release the footage until the chair was fully restored. The tourists’ faces were blurred, and local police have not yet identified them.
Nicola Bolla’s Chair Was Built from Crystals and Inspired by Van Gogh
The artwork was made by Nicola Bolla, an Italian artist born in 1963. He is known for detailed sculptures using unusual materials like playing cards and Swarovski crystals. This chair was part of his Vanitas series, which also includes items like skulls, toilets, and nooses, all either made from or covered in crystals.
Bolla’s chair is based on Van Gogh’s 1888 painting, which shows a plain chair in the artist’s home in Arles, France. Bolla’s version was highly decorative and visually striking, but it was also extremely fragile because it had no internal structure to support any weight.
In an interview with Italian magazine Fanpage, Bolla described the tourists’ actions as “idiotic,” according to a translation by Agence France-Presse. Even still, he said the event had a “positive side,” calling it “a kind of performance,” stating that “ordinary people can do it too, not just artists.”
Bolla also said this was not the first time one of his artworks had been damaged. He believes people are tempted to touch his work because it looks very realistic.
Museum Restores the Chair and Calls for Greater Respect for Art
After the incident, the museum issued a statement calling the event “the nightmare of every museum.” Vanessa Carlon, the museum’s director, said in interviews with BBC News and The New York Times that the most upsetting part was not the accident itself, but that the couple did not tell anyone what had happened.
“Sometimes we lose our brains to take a picture,” Carlon said. “We don’t think about the consequences.” She also said, “These two people decided to escape. That was the behavior that really offended us.”
The museum made it clear that the video was not released to shame the couple; it was rather a reminder for all visitors to treat art with care. Signs placed near the sculpture, in both Italian and English, clearly stated not to touch or sit on the piece.
For several days after the break, museum staff weren’t sure whether the sculpture could be repaired. But eventually, restorers were able to fix the chair, and it is now back on display. The museum paid for the full cost of restoration. To avoid future problems, the sculpture is now protected by plexiglass.
Carlon said, “It looks the same, but once an artwork is damaged, it’s not really the same.” She also said the museum would not give an estimated value of the sculpture. While its value may have gone down because of the break, Carlon said the piece has received more attention since the incident.
Museum Director Hopes for Apology, Urges Visitors to Be Careful
The Palazzo Maffei, which opened in 2020, includes artwork from both classic and modern artists, including Picasso, Magritte, and Modigliani.
Most visitors, according to Carlon, are respectful. However, she said this event shows that even one careless moment can lead to serious damage. She added that if the couple came forward and apologized, she would accept it. “That would be a nice gesture,” she said. “A noble gesture.”
The museum closed its statement with, “Art must be respected!”
