In a scene pulled straight from Mr. Bean, a bumbling tourist, trying to make a joke, has fallen through a 300-year-old painting.
While trying to imitate the pose of Ferdinando de’ Medici, the grand prince of Tuscany, by Anton Domenico Gabbiani, the tourist stumbled. The small step intended to keep people a safe distance was his downfall.
Attempting to catch himself, footage shows the man throw his hands on the priceless 300-year-old painting. But, being canvas, it was unable to stop the fool. Falling forward, he pushed his hand straight through the aged cloth of the painting, tearing a hole.
Security at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence quickly apprehended the man before he could punch holes in more priceless artworks. He was reported to the police and is charged with damaging cultural heritage.
Painting Can Be Repaired, But Tourists’ Pride Will Forever Be In Tatters
There are many experts who work specifically in the realm of artwork repair. Although the damage to the painting is pretty bad, the torn hole will be fixed. I expect that the tourist will be, to some level, financially liable for the costs.
In this case, I think they should make him study 1600s to 1700s European arts for two years as a punishment. This would, perhaps, give the oaf some appreciation of the art he was mocking. He is not alone in his small-minded behavior in front of classics either. In fact, according to the director of the Uffizi, Simone Verde, it’s becoming quite a nuisance.
Speaking to The Telegraph, he said that the actions of the tourist who tore the painting were quite common. “The problem of visitors coming to museums to create memes or take selfies for social media is now rampant. We put in place very precise rules to try to impede behaviour that is not compatible with respect for our cultural heritage.”
Of course, museums and culture need to be accessible to everyone. But the lack of respect shown can end up with situations like these. Tearing a hole through an irreplaceable painting could have easily been avoided by the clumsy tourist showing a little more respect.