Security footage caught the moment a crystal-studded work of art in a museum in Italy was damaged by the weight of a tourist.
The video footage showed a man attempting to sit in the “Van Gogh” chair that is covered in Swarovski crystals and on display at the Palazzo Maffei in Verona. The chair is not connected with the famed artist but only named named after Vincent van Gogh “as a tribute to the Dutch artist’s painting of a simple chair,” according to the BBC.
“Every museum’s nightmare has come true,” the museum posted on social media, along with footage of the man and woman who were pretending to sit on the work by Nicola Bolla. But at one point, the man appeared to actually sit on the chair, falling into it and breaking the “extremely fragile” piece.
The incident reportedly occurred in April, but the museum just posted the footage.
“What you just saw would be ridiculous if it hadn’t, unfortunately, actually happened,” said one museum employee during the video.
“An irresponsible gesture caused serious damage to Nicola Bolla’s ‘Van Gogh’ chair, a very delicate work, entirely covered in hundreds of Swarovski crystals,” the museum said, noting that the couple waited for security to leave before making a move to take the photos.
️Nightmare at the Italian museum: Tourist sat on the ‘Van Gogh’ chair and crushed it with his weight
Adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals, the chair was exhibited at the Maffei Palace in Verona. The artist behind the piece is Italian artist Nicola Bolla.
At first, the… pic.twitter.com/FGK89fAU7O
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 14, 2025
“We were truly worried it might not be possible to restore it,” the museum noted but added that it was successfully repaired.
“Heartfelt thanks go to the police, our security department and the restorers, whose valuable work allowed the recovery of the work,” the museum communicated.”We share this episode not only for the record, but to start a real awareness campaign on the value of art and the respect it is due.”
According to the BBC, the museum declined to provide an estimate of the value of the chair, while Carlotta Menegazzo, an art historian, explained how the piece is “not a real chair.”
“On the chair was a note warning people not to touch, and of course it is placed on a pedestal, so it’s quite clear it’s not a real chair,” Menegazzo said.
The pair in the video has not been identified, though museum staff did notify the police about the incident.
Writers and editors can be contacted at writers@bizpcreview.com with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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