CHILD DAMAGES €50M ROTHKO PAINTING AT DUTCH MUSEUM

Sat 10 May 2025:

A painting by American artist Mark Rothko, displayed at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, was damaged by a small child. The artwork, valued at approximately 50 million euros, was exhibited in a publicly accessible storage area.

In a statement from the museum, it was explained that the painting “Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8“ suffered minor scratches on its unvarnished lower paint layer, and the damage was described as “superficial.” The incident occurred during a moment of inattention.

RESTORATION UNDERWAY

The museum said it had contacted conservation experts from both the Netherlands and abroad and is currently evaluating how best to repair the piece. Officials stated, “We anticipate that the painting can be exhibited again in the future.”

Art restoration expert Sophie McAloone noted that Rothko’s modern and unvarnished works are extremely vulnerable to damage. “The complex modern materials used in these pieces, the absence of traditional protective coatings, and the intensity of flat color fields make even the slightest damage visible,” she said.

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DISPLAYED IN PUBLIC STORAGE

The Rothko painting was being shown in the museum’s publicly accessible storage facility adjacent to the main building as part of a selection of public favorites.

EXPERTS: ROTHKO PAINTINGS ARE HARD TO RESTORE

Jonny Helm from restoration firm Plowden & Smith suggested that such incidents might influence some UK museums’ plans to open their archives to the public. He emphasized that Rothko’s complex mix of pigments, resins, and adhesives makes restoration especially difficult, and the lack of varnish leaves the work more vulnerable to environmental factors.

ROTHKO WORKS DAMAGED BEFORE

This is not the first time a Rothko work has been damaged. In 2012, Black on Maroon was deliberately vandalized at the Tate Modern in London. Restoration took 18 months and cost around £200,000.

COVERED BY INSURANCE

Rachel Myrtle from the art insurance firm Aon said that such artworks are typically insured against “all risks of physical loss and damage.” The museum has not commented on who will be held responsible for the damage to the 1960 painting.

PREVIOUS INCIDENTS INVOLVING VISITORS

The museum has previously sought compensation from visitors who damaged artworks. In 2011, a tourist stepped on Wim T. Schippers’ installation Pindakaasvloer (Peanut Butter Floor), and the museum requested the restoration costs from the individual.

OTHER RECENT DAMAGE TO MODERN ART IN THE NETHERLANDS

Modern artworks have suffered damage in other recent incidents across the Netherlands. In November 2024, several Andy Warhol screen prints were vandalized during a burglary attempt at the MPV Art Gallery in Oisterwijk.

Last year, a Dutch municipality accidentally destroyed 46 artworks during a building renovation, including a Warhol piece depicting a former Dutch queen.

DAMAGE BY CHILDREN OFTEN TREATED DIFFERENTLY

Museums may apply different policies when children are involved in damaging artworks. In Israel, after a 4-year-old broke a 3,500-year-old jar at the Hecht Museum last year, the museum did not consider the incident serious and instead invited the family for a private tour.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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