An Italian museum has urged visitors to "respect art" after a couple was filmed breaking a chair covered in hundreds of sparkling crystals.
In the footage of the Palazzo Maffei in Verona, a man and a woman are seen taking photos of each other while pretending to sit on a so-called "Van Gogh" chair.
The man slipped and fell onto a chair, which broke under his weight.
Officials say the couple fled the museum before employees noticed what had happened.
The museum subsequently notified police about the couple, whose identities have not been revealed.
"Sometimes we lose our minds to take pictures and don't think about the consequences," says museum director Vanessa Carlon.
"Of course it was an accident, but these people left without talking to us - that's not an accident," she adds.
"This is a nightmare for every museum."
As the BBC has learned, this incident occurred in April.
The Mafei Palace released the footage on June 12th.
The chair was created by Italian artist Nicola Bola and is decorated with Swarovski crystals made from polished, machine-cut glass.
It was named after Vincent van Gogh as a tribute. picture of a simple chair painted by this Dutch artist.
Bola's work is in some ways priceless, considering that the museum refused to assess its value when the BBC requested it.
Carlotta Menegazzo, an art historian based at Palazzo Maffei, says that - although it looks solid - its frame is mostly hollow and held together with foil.
"There was a note on the chair warning not to touch it, and of course, it was placed on a stand, so it's quite clear that it's not a real chair," says Menegazzo.
Two legs and the main seat were broken, but Menegazzo says an "excellent job" of restoration was done and the chair has now been put back in place.
The Maffei Palace opened in 2020 and has 650 works on display, including paintings by Picasso and ancient Egyptian art.
Vanessa Carlon says most visitors are considerate and hopes that this release of the surveillance footage will not become a "negative episode."
Instead, he wants to emphasize that "everyone should enter art spaces, or museums or churches, wherever art is exhibited, with more respect."
"Art must be respected and loved because it is very fragile," she adds.
Watch video: The moment a golden toilet was robbed in the UK
BBC is in Serbian from now on and on YouTube, follow us HERE.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube i Viber. If you have a topic suggestion for us, please contact bbcnasrpskom@bbc.co.uk
- Child damages painting worth 50 million euros in Dutch museum
- When a Warhol portrait ends up in the trash
- 'Don't touch Molly's breasts'
Bonus video:
