Anna Leporskaya’s Three Figures painting, valued at $1 million USD (£740,000 GBP) and considered a cultural heritage of the Russian Federation, was vandalized by a security guard working his first day at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
The security guard, who revealed he was bored on the job, drew eyes on two of the three figures on the painting with a ballpoint pen. The Yeltsin Center reportedly went to the police with a statement almost two weeks after the incident, when two museum visitors spotted the difference and brought it to the attention of a gallery employee.
According to The Art Newspaper Russia who originally broke the story:
“The ink has slightly penetrated into the paint layer since the titanium white used to paint the faces is not covered with author’s varnish, as is often the case in abstract painting of that time. Fortunately, the vandal drew with a pen without strong pressure, and therefore the relief of the strokes as a whole was not disturbed. ”
During inspection, they estimated the damage at approximately ₽200,000 RUB (that’s about $2677 USD) and officials deemed insignificant to warrant a criminal case. Following a complaint from the prosecutor general’s office, the police re-opened the investigation. They fired the guard, and he now faces a fine and jail time of up to three months.
Three Figures is no longer being held at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center in Ekaterinburg, Russia. They have moved it to the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow for a full restoration. They have even installed protective screens over the remaining works in the Yeltsin Center to prevent another incident. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Lastly, for more art and design news, OpenSea Bans Ripoff Bored Ape NFT Collections.
