Art & Paintings
Child Damages £42 Million Rothko Painting at Dutch Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
An abstract painting by renowned American artist Mark Rothko, valued at over £42 million, has been damaged by a child visiting the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The incident occurred during what the museum described as an “unguarded moment,” raising renewed concerns about the safety of artwork and visitor conduct in public galleries.
Superficial Damage to Masterpiece
The painting, titled Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8, sustained “superficial damage” after a young visitor touched the lower section of the canvas. The museum said the damage includes “small scratches,” but no further visual evidence or photos of the affected area have been released.
A spokesperson for the museum stated that conservation experts have already been consulted both in the Netherlands and abroad.
“We are currently researching the next steps for the treatment of the painting. We expect that the work will be able to be shown again in the future” the museum said in an official statement.
Artworks Worth Millions at Risk
Though the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen has not confirmed the painting’s estimated value, Dutch media reported that the Mark Rothko piece Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 could be worth up to €50 million (£42.5 million). Rothko’s works are highly sought-after in the art market. His 1961 painting Orange, Red, Yellow sold for $86.9 million (£53.8 million) at Christie’s in New York in 2012, while another was sold months later for $75.1 million (£47.3 million).
This latest incident adds to a growing list of high-profile cases involving damage to major artworks, either through accidents or deliberate acts.
Past Incidents Highlight Ongoing Challenges
This is not the first time the Rotterdam museum has had to deal with visitor-related damage. In 2011, a visitor accidentally stepped on Peanut Butter Platform, a conceptual piece by Dutch artist Wim T. Schippers. The 14-meter-long carpet of peanut butter had to be restored, and the museum reportedly asked the responsible individual to cover the costs.
“It is normal procedure for people to pay if they damage art,” a spokesperson said at the time.
Mark Rothko’s works have also been targeted before. In 2012, Black on Maroon, part of a series initially created for New York’s Seagram Building, was vandalised at the Tate Modern in London. Polish artist Wlodzimierz Umaniec defaced the painting in the name of his so-called Yellowist movement and was later sentenced to two years in prison.
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Tighter Security and Restrictions on the Rise
As museums struggle to protect their collections from both accidents and activism, institutions are tightening security protocols. In October 2024, the National Gallery in London banned all liquids after a wave of protest-related attacks on famous artworks, including Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Constable’s The Hay Wain.
“Unfortunately, we have now reached a point where we have been forced to act to protect our visitors, staff and collection,” the gallery said at the time.
The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen has not indicated whether new protective measures will be introduced following the Mark Rothko incident. Still, the event is likely to reignite debates about how accessible priceless art should be, especially to young or unsupervised visitors.
