Mark Rothko
A child visiting a Rotterdam museum accidentally damaged a painting by Mark Rothko.
The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is the most visited museum in Rotterdam. Its collection ranges from ancient artifacts to contemporary art. Some highlights include one of the two Tower of Babel paintings by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, La reproduction interdite by René Magritte, and Van Gogh’s portrait of Armand Roulin. However, much of the collection available for public viewing is not currently located within the museum. The museum has recently commenced its impressive €359 million renovation, which is scheduled to finish in 2030. Therefore, just behind the museum, curators have set up a facility known as the Depot, where visitors can view a small selection of the museum’s works while renovations are underway. It was in the Depot that the Rothko was damaged.
Grey, Orange on Maroon No. 8, dating to 1960, is only one of two Rothko paintings in Dutch museums. It is considered one of the main attractions at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. While the museum has not yet commented on the work’s value, an article in the Dutch newspaper AD estimates that the work is likely worth around €50 million (or $57 million). It seems a child accompanied by their parents reached out and touched the Rothko, resulting in some small scratches. It likely wasn’t difficult for the young visitor to touch the painting, as it measures 7.5 feet by 8.5 feet. It is unknown if the museum will ask the child’s family to pay for damages. The museum can certainly do so, but since it was a small child, the museum administration may be somewhat forgiving.
Paintings from the post-war period can be rather easy to damage and difficult to restore. Specifically, many twentieth-century artists, particularly the abstract expressionists, abandoned the use of varnishes as the final step in creating their paintings. The lack of varnish combined with the vivid colors Rothko used makes even the smallest bit of damage easily visible. Many have also commented that restoration may be further complicated because of a lack of access to the appropriate materials. Rothko was known for mixing various pigments and resins to create his paints, many of which are difficult to replicate. However, this is not the first time someone has damaged a Rothko painting in a museum setting. In 2012, a visitor to the Tate Modern in London vandalized Rothko’s Black on Maroon with a marker. It took eighteen months and £200K to fully restore the Rothko. Hopefully, the Dutch specialists can apply any lessons learned at the Tate to their current situation so the painting can soon be back on display.