Watch a Taiwanese Boy Punch a Hole Through a $1.5 Million Painting
A 12-year-old boy accidentally punched a whole through a $1.5 million painting after taking a stumble, and the exact the moment it happened was caught on video.
According to the Independent, the boy was touring the Face of Leonardo: Images of a Genius exhibition in Taipei. The exhibition included the 350-year-old Paolo Porpora oil canvas, named "Flowers," which the crowd in the video can be seen observing and then moving away from.
The boy, who starts to make his way away from the painting, stumbles on the display barrier. While he successfully keeps his drink from doing any damage by keeping his cup upright, he, however, plants his hands right on the painting to prevent his fall, tearing a hole into painting in the process.
The organizer of the exhibition, Sun Chi-hsuan, said that the boy will not be blamed for the incident and that the painting is insured. However, he did leave a fist-sized hole in the bottom part of the painting.
The Web Gallery of Art, which is a database of European fine art, said that the painting was the only Porpora work that features the artist's signature and was most likely painted in 1660, reported The Guardian.
After the incident the, the exhibition was closed to remove the painting, which will be now be restored and then sent to Italy.
"When we start working on the painting's restoration, the priority is to strengthen its structure, not retouching the paint on the damaged area," said Chi-hsuan.
The exhibit also released a statement on their Facebook page stating, "All 55 paintings in the venue are authentic pieces and they are very rare and precious. Once these works are damaged, they are permanently damaged."
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