Art News. Vasari Codex

article news schedule Jun 24, 2025 visibility 12 link 4 artists

selfie taking tourist damages painting uffizi gallery

A tourist at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence damaged an 18th-century portrait of Ferdinando de’ Medici by Anton Domenico Gabbiani while taking a selfie on June 21. The man tripped backward onto the canvas, causing a small tear near the subject's right foot. Museum staff quickly removed the painting for assessment, and the work is expected to return to display soon in the exhibition “Florence and Europe: Arts of the Eighteenth Century.” The perpetrator was apprehended and reported to authorities; director Simone Verde vowed to prosecute and implement “anti-selfie measures.”

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article news schedule Jun 23, 2025 visibility 11 link 2 artists

medici portrait damaged by tourist at uffizi galleries florence

A 17th-century portrait of Grand Prince Ferdinando de’ Medici was damaged at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence when a tourist attempted to take a photo mimicking the prince's pose. The young Italian man tripped over a barrier, fell onto the painting, and tore the canvas. Security cameras captured the incident, and the tourist has been identified and reported to police, potentially facing criminal charges and repair costs.

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article news schedule Jun 23, 2025 visibility 10 link 3 artists

Uffizi director to ‘limit’ selfies after posing visitor damages 18th-century painting

The director of the Uffizi Galleries in Florence announced plans to restrict selfies after a tourist damaged an 18th-century portrait while posing for a photograph. The visitor was mimicking the pose of Ferdinando de' Medici in a 1712 painting by Anton Domenico Gabbiani when he stumbled backward, tore the canvas, and left a hole near the prince's boot. The painting has been removed for repair, and the tourist will be prosecuted. The incident follows a similar event at Palazzo Maffei in Verona, where a visitor damaged a crystal-studded sculpture by Nicola Bolla.

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