Tourists Destroy Priceless "Van Gogh Chair" Recorded on Camera

A pair of museum visitors damaged an exhibit at the Palazzo Maffei museum. It was a chair decorated with Swarovski crystals that was created as a tribute to Vincent van Gogh.

My dears, it is no accident that museums all over the world prohibit approaching and touching exhibits . Works of art can not only be very expensive, but they are also usually delicate .

This is one of the stories from the Italian museum Palazzo Maffei , whose representatives appealed to visitors to show respect for art . The reason? A couple was filmed destroying a chair covered in hundreds of shiny crystals.

Nicola Bolla, Van Gogh / photo: Palazzo Maffei

A video shared by a museum in Verona shows a man and a woman taking pictures of each other, pretending to sit on the so-called Van Gogh chair . However, maintaining the position proved to be too much for the man… When he fell on the chair, he literally crushed it. What’s more, visitors fled the scene before the staff realized what had happened.

Okay, but what kind of chair are you talking about and what is so interesting about it?

This unusual piece of furniture was made by Italian artist Nicola Bolla and decorated with Swarovski crystals from polished, machine-cut glass.

The work was titled "Van Gogh" in honor of the Dutch painter and his famous painting depicting a simple chair.

Carlotta Menegazzo , an art historian at Palazzo Maffei , explained to the BBC that while the chair looks solid, its structure is mostly hollow.

- There was a notice on the chair warning not to touch it, and it was also placed on a pedestal, so it was quite obvious that it was not an ordinary chair, she said during the interview.

According to museum representatives, the work is priceless, but it was saved thanks to the wonderful work of conservators .

Footage of the couple who carried out the destruction appeared on Palazzo Maffei’s social media, along with an appeal to visitors.

- We are sharing this experience [...] to start a real campaign to raise awareness of the value of art and the respect it deserves - we read in a post on Instagram .

Of course, the museum staff is aware that the vast majority of visitors follow the rules and do not expose the exhibits to damage. The entry thanks all those who walk through the museum halls with care and delight .

- Art is not just for looking at. It should be loved. It should be protected - it was written.

Palazzo Maffei opened in 2020. The museum's collection includes 650 exhibits, including works by Picasso and ancient Egyptian art.