A huge painting by Mark Rothko, thought to be worth tens of millions of dollars, has been removed from display in a Dutch museum after it was damaged by a visiting child.
Conservators will now have to repair the artwork, “Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8,” after it was “scratched” by a child visiting the Rotterdam gallery where it was on display.
The abstract painting from 1960, which measures 7 feet, 6 inches high by 8 feet, 6 inches wide, was a centerpiece of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam—though it had been temporarily on display at the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen as the museum is currently closed for a large-scale renovation.
The museum confirmed the incident in a statement emailed to CNN. It said: “The painting Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 by Mark Rothko has sustained superficial damage after a child touched the painting when it was on display. As a result, small scratches are visible in the unvarnished paint layer in the lower part of the painting.
“Conservation expertise has been sought in the Netherlands and abroad. We are currently researching the next steps for the treatment of the painting. We expect that the work will be able to be shown again in the future.”
The museum declined to say how much the painting is worth nor how much the damage might cost to repair—or who might be expected to foot the bill.
In response to a question about the painting’s value on its website, the museum said the piece was bought in the 1970s for an undisclosed amount. It went on to explain: “An appraiser from an international auction house would be involved in a sale of an artist as famous as Rothko. The price is then very dependent on the condition, size, frame, etc.”
Latvian-born American artist Rothko, who died in 1970, was best known for his “color field” paintings. His works regularly fetch millions of dollars at auction—in November 2023 “Untitled, 1968” sold for $23.9 million at Sotheby’s in New York.
Museums and galleries are usually eager to promote visits from families with young children, in the hope of fostering an early interest in the arts. Many have programs and workshops aimed at young visitors and actively encourage them—but children can, of course, be unpredictable.
Maxwell Blowfield, writer and creator of the popular “maxwell museums” newsletter, told CNN: “Every museum and gallery thinks hard about how to balance meaningful physical access to artworks and objects with keeping them safe. I’d say most have the balance right but accidents can still happen. It’s impossible to prevent every potential incident, from visitors of all ages. Thankfully things like this are very rare compared to the millions of visits taking place everyday.”