The original marble version of the Antonio Canova sculpture at the Galleria Borghese. Getty
The original marble version of the Antonio Canova sculpture at the Galleria Borghese. Getty
The original marble version of the Antonio Canova sculpture at the Galleria Borghese. Getty
The original marble version of the Antonio Canova sculpture at the Galleria Borghese. Getty

Damage done: selfie-taker snaps toes off 19th-century sculpture in Italy


Alexandra Chaves
  • English
  • Arabic

The art museum selfie strikes again.

In Italy, an Austrian tourist has damaged a Neoclassical sculpture while trying to capture a photo.

Created by Italian artist Antonio Canova (1757-1822), the sculpture is a plaster model of a reclining female figure. The tourist, whose name has not been made public, snapped two toes off the sculpture while trying to sit on the figure’s lap for a picture.

The incident took place on July 31, at the Museo Antonio Canova in Possagno, north-east Italy. On its Facebook page, the museum said that room guards noticed the damage minutes after the tourist "hurriedly left without reporting the incident".

The sculpture, titled Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix, is an original plaster model of Canova's marble work of the same name. It depicts Napoleon Bonaparte's sister, Pauline, as Venus. The marble version, commissioned by her husband, Camillo Borghese, in the early 1800s, is in the collection of Galleria Borghese in Rome.

Using security footage, staff were able to uncover what took place, and saw the damage was all for a selfie.

This is the plaster version, the toes of which were snapped off after a tourist tried to sit on the figure's lap. Museum Antonio Canova / Facebook
This is the plaster version, the toes of which were snapped off after a tourist tried to sit on the figure's lap. Museum Antonio Canova / Facebook

Because of Covid-19 guidelines, museums in Italy require foreign visitors to register their names upon entry. This allowed Museo Antonio Canova to quickly identify the person responsible, though he or she is yet to be tracked down.

Speaking to Austrian press, the museum’s director Moira Mascotto stated that staff were able to find broken parts of the gypsum, which will help with the restoration of the piece.

When announcing the damage, the museum implored visitors to be more careful. "Our heritage must be protected: adopting responsible behaviour within the museum and respecting the works and goods preserved in it is not only a civic duty, but a sign of respect for what ... must be handed down with pride to future generations."

It’s not the first time overly eager picture-takers have caused damage in art museums.

In February 2017, a visitor lost his footing and smashed a Yayoi Kusama pumpkin in her Infinity Mirror Room installation at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington. The room had to be closed temporarily, though the damage was minimal.

In another incident that same year, a visitor at 14th Factory, a pop-up gallery in Los Angeles, knocked down nearly an entire installation while posing for a photo.

The work was comprised of a series of plinths with sculptures on top that toppled over as the individual backed up against one plinth.

The disastrous domino effect was captured on camera and shared on YouTube, where it garnered millions of views, with some pointing out that the viral moment may have only helped to increase the art's value.

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

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  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
THE BIO

Bio Box

Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul

Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader

Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Favorite food: seafood

Favorite place to travel: Lebanon

Favorite movie: Braveheart

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S23%20ULTRA
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Score

Third Test, Day 2

New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)

Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings

The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA

Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600

Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder

Transmission Seven-speed automatic

Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm

Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km

Dubai World Cup nominations

UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer

USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.

Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.

Brief scores:

Southampton 2

Armstrong 13', Soares 20'

Manchester United 2

Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

In Praise of Zayed

A thousand grains of Sand whirl in the sky
To mark the journey of one passer-by
If then a Cavalcade disturbs the scene,
Shall such grains sing before they start to fly?

What man of Honour, and to Honour bred
Will fear to go wherever Truth has led?
For though a Thousand urge him to retreat
He'll laugh, until such counsellors have fled.

Stands always One, defiant and alone
Against the Many, when all Hope has flown.
Then comes the Test; and only then the time
Of reckoning what each can call his own.

History will not forget: that one small Seed
Sufficed to tip the Scales in time of need.
More than a debt, the Emirates owe to Zayed
Their very Souls, from outside influence freed.
No praise from Roderic can increase his Fame.
Steadfastness was the Essence of his name.
The changing years grow Gardens in the Sand
And build new Roads to Sand which stays the same.
But Hearts are not rebuilt, nor Seed resown.
What was, remains, essentially Alone.
Until the Golden Messenger, all-wise,
Calls out: "Come now, my Friend!" - and All is known

- Roderic Fenwick Owen

Stree

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5

MATCH INFO

Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)

Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm

The%20Afghan%20connection
%3Cp%3EThe%20influx%20of%20talented%20young%20Afghan%20players%20to%20UAE%20cricket%20could%20have%20a%20big%20impact%20on%20the%20fortunes%20of%20both%20countries.%20Here%20are%20three%20Emirates-based%20players%20to%20watch%20out%20for.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EHassan%20Khan%20Eisakhil%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMohammed%20Nabi%20is%20still%20proving%20his%20worth%20at%20the%20top%20level%20but%20there%20is%20another%20reason%20he%20is%20raging%20against%20the%20idea%20of%20retirement.%20If%20the%20allrounder%20hangs%20on%20a%20little%20bit%20longer%2C%20he%20might%20be%20able%20to%20play%20in%20the%20same%20team%20as%20his%20son%2C%20Hassan%20Khan.%20The%20family%20live%20in%20Ajman%20and%20train%20in%20Sharjah.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMasood%20Gurbaz%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20opening%20batter%2C%20who%20trains%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Academy%2C%20is%20another%20player%20who%20is%20a%20part%20of%20a%20famous%20family.%20His%20brother%2C%20Rahmanullah%2C%20was%20an%20IPL%20winner%20with%20Kolkata%20Knight%20Riders%2C%20and%20opens%20the%20batting%20with%20distinction%20for%20Afghanistan.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOmid%20Rahman%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20fast%20bowler%20became%20a%20pioneer%20earlier%20this%20year%20when%20he%20became%20the%20first%20Afghan%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE.%20He%20showed%20great%20promise%20in%20doing%20so%2C%20too%2C%20playing%20a%20key%20role%20in%20the%20senior%20team%E2%80%99s%20qualification%20for%20the%20Asia%20Cup%20in%20Muscat%20recently.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A