A 300-year-old painting in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery has allegedly been damaged after a tourist stumbled and ripped the historic artwork whilst taking a selfie. Stunned onlookers looked on as the visitor fell backwards while attempting to “make a meme” in front of a portrait of Tuscan prince Ferdinando de’ Medici in Florence.
Security camera footage circulated by Italian media from when the man was visiting on Saturday, June 21, shows the visitor attempting to re-enact the pose of the prince in the picture before losing his balance and falling back onto the canvas. A closeup then reveals a fist-sized tear in the artwork where the prince’s right boot is painted. After tearing the masterpiece, he stood back up and put his hands behind his back as if to pretend he was just studying the portrait.
The Uffizi said the painting, a portrait of Tuscan prince Ferdinando de’ Medici painted by Anton Domenico Gabbiani in 1712 has been removed for repair with experts stating that the damage was relatively minor;
The artwork was on display in the ground-floor rooms hosting the Florence and Europe: Arts of the 18th Century exhibition.
Simone Verde, the director of the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, said the tourist will be prosecuted.
Mr Verde addedd that the damage to the painting is part of a wider issue of visitors’ dedication to taking photos for their social media.
He said: “Today, a tourist wanting to make a meme in front of a painting, stepping back in a pose like the portrayed Prince of Medici, hits the surface of the work.
“The problem of visitors who come to museums to make memes or take selfies for social media is rampant.
“We will set very precise limits, preventing behaviours that are not compatible with the purpose of our institutions and respect for cultural heritage.”
The Uffizi told the BBC that the individual had been identified by the police and reported to judicial authorities.
A trade union representing museum workers said that the tourist had in fact tripped on a low platform intended to keep visitors at a distance from the painting.