By In Trieste
An Austrian tourist caused serious damage to a plaster cast work by neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova, at the Gipsoteca Museum in northern Italy, after sitting on the sculpture for a selfie.
The tourist reportedly broke two toes off the sculpture, which was the plaster model for the Paolina Borghese (Venus Victix) masterpiece in Galleria Borghese, sculpted by Canova in 1804, reports online art magazine Finestre sull’Arte.
The incident took place on 31 July, with the tourist allegedly fleeing the scene before being caught. The museum subsequently released a statement via its Facebook page on 1 August.
Advertisement
