While touring the renowned museum on Saturday, the visitor inadvertently harmed a portrait of Tuscan prince Ferdinando de’ Medici. The painting, created around 1695-1700 by Anton Domenico Gabbiani, was affected, the museum revealed on Monday.
The identity of the visitor remains undisclosed, but the incident has been reported to local authorities. The artwork has been withdrawn for restoration, though the museum described the harm as “minor,” assuring it will be on display shortly.
This episode led Simone Verde, the Uffizi Galleries director, to express concern over “the issue of visitors who attend museums to create memes or take selfies for social media purposes.”
“We will set very precise limits, preventing behaviours that are not compatible with the sense of our institutions and respect for cultural heritage,” he added in a statement sent to CNN.
Museum-goers accidentally damaging exhibits in the pursuit of the perfect photo appears to be an increasing problem for the institutions.
In April, a child damaged a huge painting by Mark Rothko, thought to be worth tens of millions of dollars, while visiting a Dutch museum.
