A painting by Mark Rothko has been damaged by a child during an “unguarded moment,” according to a Dutch museum.
The abstract painting from 1960, “Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8”, was “scratched” by a child visiting the Rotterdam gallery Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen where it was on display.
The museum shared a statement: “The painting Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 by Mark Rothko has sustained superficial damage after a child touched the painting when it was on display. As a result, small scratches are visible in the unvarnished paint layer in the lower part of the painting. Conservation expertise has been sought in the Netherlands and abroad. We are currently researching the next steps for the treatment of the painting. We expect that the work will be able to be shown again in the future.”
While the museum declined to say how much the painting is worth, Rothko’s works regularly fetch millions of dollars at auction.
For instance, his work “Untitled, 1968” sold for $23.9 million at Sotheby’s in New York in November 2023.
Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad (AD) estimates “Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8” to be worth up to €50million.
The costs of the repair and who will be footing the bill remain unknown.
The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen has previously asked visitors to cover repair costs following damage to artworks. In 2011, a tourist who accidentally stepped on “Pindakaasvloer” (“Peanut Butter Floor”), a conceptual piece by Dutch artist Wim T. Schippers, was asked to pay for restoration.
When it comes to children, however, some museums deal with accidents differently.
Last year, a precious 3,500-year-old jar was accidentally shattered by a four-year-old boy during a visit to the Hecht Museum in northern Israel.
The jar, dating back to the Bronze Age between 2200 and 1500 BC, had been displayed near the museum entrance without protective glass.
“There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police,” said Hecht Museum director Inbal Rivlin at the time. “In this case, however, this was not the situation. The jar was accidentally damaged by a young child visiting the museum, and the response will be accordingly.”
The response? The child and his family were invited back to the exhibition for an organised tour in an effort to “sweeten” their previous experience at the museum.
Additional sources • Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Algemeen Dagblad (AD)
