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Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Child accidentally damages $50 million Rothko at Dutch museum
A Mark Rothko painting thought to be worth tens of millions of dollars is undergoing restoration after a child accidentally damaged the artwork at a museum in the Netherlands. 'Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8' sustained some visible scratches when a child brushed against the abstract painting at the Depot, a public storage area of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. In the Depot, much of the art is displayed similarly to how it would in a gallery without traditional exhibition protections. The Depot is currently showing highlights of its vast collection as the main museum undergoes renovations. 'It happened because a child, in an unsupervised moment, touched the lower part of the work. There was no intent. This was not vandalism,' museum spokesperson Vincent Cardinaal told ABC News. The painting has since been moved to the museum's conservation lab. Cardinaal said the restoration process was expected to be successful and that the painting would be able to be displayed in the future. The museum did not release images of the damage, further description or estimates of repair costs. A vandal who wrote on another Rothko piece at the Tate Modern in London caused about $250,000 in damages that cost 18 months to repair. 'Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8' has never been auctioned but it's estimated to be worth between $50 and $60 million. 'Untitled, 1968' — another of Rothko's 'color field' paintings — sold for $23.9 million at Sotheby's in 2023. The Dutch museum acquired the piece in 1970 after Rothko's death. _____
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Iconic, $56 Million Abstract Painting Damaged by Child
Think twice about taking children to a museum housing expensive art. Scratch that, maybe just leave them at home. That's arguably the moral of the story after a child reportedly damaged a Mark Rothko painting worth a whopping $56 million. The damage happened at the famed Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands. According to the BBC, a museum spokesperson said it's considering the "next steps" to repair the American painter's 1960 abstract Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 painting. Those "next steps" includes searching for a conservation expert in the country and abroad. A Dutch outlet reported that the damage occurred during an "unguarded moment." As far as the painting's damage, a spokesperson told the BBC that the damage is "superficial," and that "small scratches are visible in the unvarnished paint layer in the lower part of the painting."It's worth noting that a conservationist reportedly said that the painting in question is "particularly susceptible to damage." The painting had been hanging in the museum's Depot, which is a publicly accessible storage facility next to the main museum, as part of an exhibition displaying the gallery's favorite collection. The museum is optimistic that the painting will be on display again, but fixing the damage will be difficult because "Rothko's mixture of pigments and resins and glues were quite complex." This incident is eerily reminiscent to another Rothko painting that was intentionally damaged in 2012, when a man defaced a 1958 painting with graffiti. The man apologized for his action, but he was ultimately sentenced to two years in prison. During the trial, prosecutors said it would cost more than $266,000 to repair the damage, and it took conservators 18 months to repair the damage.
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
Child accidentally damages $50 million Rothko at Rotterdam museum
Literally marked by a child's hand, one of the Netherland's most valuable paintings is now undergoing restoration after being accidentally damaged in a museum in Rotterdam. The work in question -- Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 (1960) by Mark Rothko -- sustained several visible scratches in its unvarnished lower paint layer when a young child brushed against it during a visit to the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen -- a publicly accessible art storage facility connected to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. The incident occurred at the Depot, that allows visitors to view thousands of works in a visible-storage environment, where much of the collection is accessible without traditional exhibition barriers. To many, it feels less like a formal gallery and more like a backstage pass to the museum's inner workings -- a space where masterpieces are visible, but not always protected in the traditional sense. The Rothko work was on display as part of Lievelingen, an exhibition featuring 70 beloved collection highlights, from Bruegel to Dalí, while the main museum is currently closed for renovations until at least 2030. 'The work by Rothko has suffered damage: a number of visible scratches in the unvarnished paint layer,' confirmed museum spokesperson Vincent Cardinaal. 'It happened because a child, in an unsupervised moment, touched the lower part of the work. There was no intent. This was not vandalism.' The child, reportedly under the age of five years old, had simply waved a hand too close to the canvas during what the museum later called an 'unguarded moment.' The painting has since been removed from view and transferred to the museum's conservation lab. 'We are currently researching the next steps for treatment and expect that the work will be able to be shown again in the future,' Cardinaal added. This is not the first time a Rothko painting has been damaged in a public museum. In 2012, a Polish man named Vladimir Umanets wrote on Black on Maroon (1958) at the Tate Modern in London, using black ink to sign his name and added the phrase 'This is Yellowism.' Umanets said it was part of his art movement, but he was arrested and sent to prison for two years. It took 18 months and about $250,000 to repair the painting, showing just how hard it is to fix even small black marker damage on a Rothko. The museum has declined to release photos of the damage or reveal who will cover the costs. 'We never disclose information regarding valuation, security, or insurance,' Cardinaal said. 'That is standard policy -- not just here, but across most major museums in Europe.' Though the painting has never been auctioned, one East European art collector has estimated its value between $50 and $60 million. Acquired by the museum in 1970 -- the year Rothko died -- it is one of just two of his works held in public collections in the Netherlands. Art crime expert Arthur Brand, known for recovering stolen masterpieces, said the damage -- though minor -- underscores the fragility of Rothko's unvarnished surfaces. 'This wasn't a protest or criminal act. It was a child being a child,' Brand said. 'But Rothko's surfaces are incredibly sensitive. A single swipe can mean months of restoration and tens of thousands in costs.' Brand estimated the conservation work could range from $50,000 to $150,000 but explained that the bigger picture should not be lost. 'We should protect these works -- absolutely -- but we also need to let kids be around art. That's how they fall in love with it,' he said. A curator familiar with European museums and their display philosophy, who asked not to be named, offered a broader perspective. 'Given how exposed some of these works are, it's almost surprising that these accidents don't happen more often.' The incident has revived questions about the risks of displaying high-value art in open-access settings. Still, the museum stands by its approach. And as the scratched Rothko awaits restoration, Brand summed it simply. 'In every crowd of 100, there's always one person -- or in this case, one tiny hand -- capable of a very big accident.'
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Child accidentally damages $50 million Rothko at Rotterdam museum
Literally marked by a child's hand, one of the Netherland's most valuable paintings is now undergoing restoration after being accidentally damaged in a museum in Rotterdam. The work in question -- Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 (1960) by Mark Rothko -- sustained several visible scratches in its unvarnished lower paint layer when a young child brushed against it during a visit to the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen -- a publicly accessible art storage facility connected to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. The incident occurred at the Depot, that allows visitors to view thousands of works in a visible-storage environment, where much of the collection is accessible without traditional exhibition barriers. To many, it feels less like a formal gallery and more like a backstage pass to the museum's inner workings -- a space where masterpieces are visible, but not always protected in the traditional sense. MORE: Gustav Klimt portrait found after vanishing nearly 100 years ago The Rothko work was on display as part of Lievelingen, an exhibition featuring 70 beloved collection highlights, from Bruegel to Dalí, while the main museum is currently closed for renovations until at least 2030. 'The work by Rothko has suffered damage: a number of visible scratches in the unvarnished paint layer,' confirmed museum spokesperson Vincent Cardinaal. 'It happened because a child, in an unsupervised moment, touched the lower part of the work. There was no intent. This was not vandalism.' The child, reportedly under the age of five years old, had simply waved a hand too close to the canvas during what the museum later called an 'unguarded moment.' The painting has since been removed from view and transferred to the museum's conservation lab. 'We are currently researching the next steps for treatment and expect that the work will be able to be shown again in the future,' Cardinaal added. MORE: Beer can artwork accidentally trashed by museum worker This is not the first time a Rothko painting has been damaged in a public museum. In 2012, a Polish man named Vladimir Umanets wrote on Black on Maroon (1958) at the Tate Modern in London, using black ink to sign his name and added the phrase 'This is Yellowism.' Umanets said it was part of his art movement, but he was arrested and sent to prison for two years. It took 18 months and about $250,000 to repair the painting, showing just how hard it is to fix even small black marker damage on a Rothko. The museum has declined to release photos of the damage or reveal who will cover the costs. MORE: 'Complete mystery' as 1,800-year-old ancient Roman statue dug up in UK parking lot MORE: 200-year-old 'national treasure' stolen from storage unit as police hunt for missing portrait of George Washington 'We never disclose information regarding valuation, security, or insurance,' Cardinaal said. 'That is standard policy -- not just here, but across most major museums in Europe.' Though the painting has never been auctioned, one East European art collector has estimated its value between $50 and $60 million. Acquired by the museum in 1970 -- the year Rothko died -- it is one of just two of his works held in public collections in the Netherlands. Art crime expert Arthur Brand, known for recovering stolen masterpieces, said the damage -- though minor -- underscores the fragility of Rothko's unvarnished surfaces. MORE: 4 charged after fully functional solid gold toilet called 'America' stolen from Winston Churchill's birthplace 'This wasn't a protest or criminal act. It was a child being a child,' Brand said. 'But Rothko's surfaces are incredibly sensitive. A single swipe can mean months of restoration and tens of thousands in costs.' Brand estimated the conservation work could range from $50,000 to $150,000 but explained that the bigger picture should not be lost. 'We should protect these works -- absolutely -- but we also need to let kids be around art. That's how they fall in love with it,' he said. A curator familiar with European museums and their display philosophy, who asked not to be named, offered a broader perspective. 'Given how exposed some of these works are, it's almost surprising that these accidents don't happen more often.' MORE: Solid gold toilet worth over $1 million stolen from Winston Churchill's birthplace The incident has revived questions about the risks of displaying high-value art in open-access settings. Still, the museum stands by its approach. And as the scratched Rothko awaits restoration, Brand summed it simply. 'In every crowd of 100, there's always one person -- or in this case, one tiny hand -- capable of a very big accident.' Child accidentally damages $50 million Rothko at Rotterdam museum originally appeared on
New York Post
30-04-2025
- General
- New York Post
Child damages $56M Mark Rothko painting in Dutch museum
A kid in the Netherlands damaged a Mark Rothko painting worth roughly $56 million after he 'scratched' it at a Dutch museum, officials said. The child, who hasn't been identified, managed to deface the American painter's 1960 abstract artwork during a visit to the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum in Rotterdam. '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,' the museum said in a statement. A Mark Rothko painting worth roughly $56 million was damaged by a child during a visit to the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum in Rotterdam. Getty Images 'As a result, small scratches are visible in the unvarnished paint layer in the lower part of the painting.' The centerpiece painting has since been removed from display. 'Conservation expertise has been sought in the Netherlands and abroad,' a museum spokesperson said. '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.' It wasn't immediately clear how much the repairs would cost. The museum also declined to reveal who might be expected to foot the bill.
