Vandalism in Italy

Beware of
selfies in an art museum: yet another awkward art lover damaged the piece in an
attempt to find the perfect angle. His victim was a historical plaster model
created by the Italian sculptor Antonio Canova.
An Austrian
tourist tried to be photographed on the lap of a neoclassical sculptural
portrait of Pauline Bonaparte as Venus the Victorious. The man lay half on the
statue, repeating the pose while his wife took the picture. As a result, the
sculpture's toes were split off. The incident took place at the Antonio Canova
Museum in Possagno in northeastern Italy.
The vandals
"left the museum in a hurry without reporting the incident," but
police tracked them down through an electronic ticketing system. When law
enforcement officers called the couple, the woman burst into tears and admitted
that her husband was to blame. The 50-year-old then sent an email of apology to
the police. Several Italian media outlets report that he also offered to pay
for the repair of the statue.
A bill has
been submitted to the Italian parliament that increases the maximum sentence
for vandalism to eight years in prison and a fine of 100,000 euros.
The plaster
sculpture was created in 1804. It has survived the bombing in 1917 during the
First World War. During the 2004 restoration, the figure's chipped head was
repaired and the damage to the bedspread, arms and legs was repaired. Now the
museum did not postpone the restoration of the work - fortunately, the broken
parts were found.
The famous
marble version of the statue, depicting Pauline Bonaparte Borghese - Napoleon's
sister - as Venus, is in the collection of the Borghese Gallery in Rome.