A large format canvas of the renowned artist Mark Rothko He was removed from the walls of the Museo Boijmans van Beuningenin Róterdam, after suffering damage caused by a young visitor.
As reported by the museum, the incident occurred for a “moment without supervision”, when the child touched the work, leaving visible scratches in the non -varnished paint layer at the bottom of the painting.
The affected work, entitled Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8measures approximately 2.3 meters high by 2.6 meters wide and is one of the two pieces of the master of abstract expressionism that are part of collections in the Netherlands.
As detailed by the museum on its website, it acquired the painting in 1970, the same year the artist died. In a statement provided to CNNThe museum explained that experts in conservation have already been consulted in both the Netherlands and abroad to evaluate the necessary steps to restore the work. Although a definitive schedule has not been established, the paint is expected to be displayed again in the future.
The work was on exhibition at the Boijmans Van Beuningen Depot, an open storage installation that houses outstanding pieces from the collection while the main museum is in the process of extensive renewal, scheduled until at least 2030.
The museum has not revealed the exact value of the painting, but Rothko’s auction record amounts to $ 86.9 million, established in 2012 in Christie’s New York for a similar size work, Orange, Red, Yellow (1961). According to the Dutch medium Algemeen Dagbladthe collector Bert Kreuk estimated in 2022 that Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 It could reach a price of 50 million euros (approximately 57 million to the current exchange rate).
The conservation of modern non -varnished paintings, such as those of Rothko, presents particular challenges. Sophie McAlooneconservation manager in the fine art restorration company of the United Kingdom, explained to the BBC That these works are especially vulnerable due to the complexity of their modern materials, the absence of a traditional protective layer and the intensity of flat colored fields, which make any damage, however small, it is immediately noticeable. According to McCalone, scratches in the upper paint layers can significantly affect the visual experience of the work.
The museum has not confirmed who will assume the costs of the restoration. In the past, you have asked visitors to cover repair expenses in similar cases. In 2011, a tourist who accidentally stepped on Peanut butter (Peanut butter), A conceptual work of the Dutch artist Wim T. Schipperswas required to pay the restoration costs, as reported Euronews.
This is not the first incident in which a work by Rothko has been damaged. In 2012, his painting Black on Maroon (1958) was vandalized in the Tate Modern from London by a man who wrote “This is yellowism” on the surface as part of an alleged “performance.” The work was restored and exhibited again in 2014.
