Museum visitor caught on camera breaking Van Gogh-inspired crystal chair
PROVINCE OF VERONA, VENETO, ITALY, JUN 17 – A fragile Swarovski crystal chair by Nicola Bolla was damaged when a tourist sat on it for a photo, but restorers have since returned it to display, museum officials said.
- On 12 June, Palazzo Maffei museum in Verona released surveillance footage of a tourist crushing Nicola Bolla's crystal-covered 'Van Gogh' chair while posing for a picture.
- The incident occurred in April when the man slipped and fell onto the delicate chair, breaking two legs and the seat before he and his companion fled the museum.
- The museum posted a statement blaming the visitors for ignoring rules, thanking police, security, and restorers for recovering the artwork, and calling it "a nightmare for any museum."
- Museum director Vanessa Carlon said, "Of course it was an accident," but criticized the couple for leaving without speaking, emphasizing that art must be "respected and loved" as it is fragile.
- The recovery and restoration of the chair highlight the fragility of art and reinforce the museum's call for visitors to treat exhibits with greater respect.
240 Articles
240 Articles
Museumgoers Accidentally Break Fragile Crystal-Covered Chair Inspired by Vincent van Gogh Painting
Security footage shows the two museumgoers pretending to sit on the artwork as they pose for photos at the Palazzo Maffei in Italy. After the piece's front legs bucked, the pair left the museum


Italy museum hunts for tourists in viral chair-smashing video
An Italian museum has launched a manhunt for the most unlikely of outlaws – two clumsy middle-aged tourists who managed to almost wreck a work of art while posing for photos.Video footage released by Palazzo Maffei showed the hapless pair photographing each other pretending to sit on a crystal-covered chair made by the artist Nicola...
Man Sits On, Breaks Swarovski-Encrusted ‘Van Gogh Chair’ At Italian Museum
A security camera captured the moment when a tourist broke a Swarovski crystal-studded museum display dubbed the “Van Gogh” chair after sitting in it.The incident occurred in April, but has been circulating on social media after just being released by the Palazzo Maffei museum, which is located in the Italian city of Verona.The video shows a woman at first pretending to sit in the chair art piece, which was made by Italian artist Nicola Bolla. N…
As if it were a surreal game of Cluedo, art has once again become a victim of human recklessness. This time, the author of the 'crime' leaves behind a damaged work of art and with broken legs. The tourist's own weight was enough to break the famous 'Silla Van Gogh'. This piece, elaborated by contemporary artist Nicola Bolla, is clad with hundreds of Swarovski crystals and its value is estimated at tens of thousands of euros.The motive of this ac…
Tourist at The Palazzo Maffei Tried to Sit in a Priceless Chair Covered in Swarovski Crystals and Shattered it to Pieces
Dexerto – A tourist visiting the Palazzo Maffei museum in Verona has damaged a Swarovski crystal-covered sculpture modeled after Vincent van Gogh’s famous “Chair” painting.The incident, which took pla...
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