Child Causes Minor Damage to €50 Million Rothko Painting in Rotterdam Museum

Mark Rothko’s renowned abstract painting, “Untitled, 1968 (Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8),” sustained superficial damage while on display at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. The undercover investigation itself occurred during a time when nobody was looking. A toddler touched the sculpture, valued as much as €50 million. To that end, the museum is actively pursuing conservation expertise from local and international sources. Their ultimate aim is to analyze the injury in order to determine how to best treat it moving forward.

Created in 1968 the Rothko painting is one of the most important and recognizable works of contemporary art that regularly sells for millions at auction. The museum decided not to disclose the painting’s value. Nonetheless, experts only estimate its value at $60 million (€50 million). This incident casts a shadow of doubt over the safety and preservation of high-value artworks in public facing exhibitions.

The museum has thus far only admitted that a child touched Mark Rothko’s painting Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 while on display. Consequently, the painting has suffered purely aesthetic wear and tear. Consequently, tiny scratches are apparent in the unvarnished paint layer in the bottom half of the painting. Our expertise in conservation, restoration and presentation has been requested both in the Netherlands and abroad. Our first priority is understanding what the next steps will be for treatment of the painting, and we are actively researching that. We hope to have this work on display again in the future.

The museum’s administration was quick to act after the incident. They invited the child and their family back for an organized tour of the exhibition in an effort to “sweeten” their previous experience at the museum.

Questions regarding irreversible damage to displayed objects have gained prominent attention following this incident. Inbal Rivlin, a representative from the museum, noted, “There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police.”

This recent incident highlights the precarious balance involved in art preservation, especially with highly valuable works such as Rothko’s piece. Museums worldwide continue to grapple with ensuring visitor interaction does not compromise valuable artworks, while encouraging public engagement with art.