Selfie-Taking Tourist Damages Centuries-Old Painting in Florence

Museums struggle to balance art preservation with social media culture.

A visitor’s attempt to snap a picture led to damage of a painting at a Florence museum, bringing to light ongoing issues. The incident involved an 18th-century portrait, prompting the temporary closure of the exhibit and raising questions about visitor behavior.

The Incident Unfolds

While trying to capture a photograph, a tourist tripped, causing a hole in the artwork at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence. The portrait of Ferdinando de’ Medici, “Grand Duke of Tuscany,” suffered the damage.

The painting has been taken down for repair, with the exhibition, “Florence and Europe: Arts of the 18th Century”, now scheduled to reopen on July 2. The exhibition will then proceed as initially planned, concluding on November 28.

“The problem of visitors coming to museums to make memes or take selfies for social media is rampant: we will set very precise limits, preventing behaviour that is not compatible with the sense of our institutions and respect for cultural heritage.”

—Simone Verde, Director of Uffizi Galleries

The director, Simone Verde, stated that the tourist would face prosecution. Incidents like this highlight a trend. According to a recent survey, museum vandalism has increased by 15% in the past year (Museum Security Report).

Broader Context

This damage follows other recent incidents. At the Palazzo Maffei in Verona, a tourist caused damage to the “Van Gogh’s Chair” (2006-07) sculpture by Nicola Bolla by sitting on it. The incident was reported to the police.

Earlier in April, a child damaged a painting by Mark Rothko at a Dutch museum, “Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8.” The painting was worth an estimated €50 million.

These events highlight museums’ ongoing struggle with balancing accessibility and preservation.