Child accidentally damages Mark Rothko painting worth $57 million

A child has caused superficial damage to a Mark Rothko painting valued at tens of millions while visiting the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The artwork, Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8, suffered minor scratches during what museum officials described as an "unguarded moment," according to Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad (AD).

Speaking to the BBC, a museum spokesperson explained that the damage was "superficial," noting, "Small scratches are visible in the unvarnished paint layer in the lower part of the painting."

The piece, an abstract work by the renowned American artist, is estimated to be worth up to 50 million euros (USD 57 million), according to AD. Museum officials said they are consulting conservation experts both in the Netherlands and internationally to determine the best course of action. "We are currently researching the next steps for the treatment of the painting," a spokesperson added, expressing optimism that the artwork would eventually be put back on display.

Sophie McAloone, conservation manager at the Fine Art Restoration Company, commented on the challenges involved, explaining that "modern unvarnished" paintings like Rothko’s are especially vulnerable to damage.

"Owing to a combination of their complex modern materials, lack of a traditional coating layer, and intensity of flat colour fields, even the smallest areas of damage are instantly perceptible," she said. McAloone also stressed that "scratching of the upper paint layers can have a significant impact on the viewing experience of the piece."

The painting was part of an exhibit in the museum’s Depot, a publicly accessible storage facility next to the main building that showcases a rotating selection of works favored by visitors.

Jonny Helm, a marketing manager at the art restoration company Plowden & Smith, reflected on the broader implications of the incident, particularly for institutions like V&A East and the British Museum, which are exploring ways to make their archives more accessible to the public.

"How will this event affect other UK institutions who are opening up their archives in the same way?" Helm asked.

Helm also pointed out that restoring a Rothko is no easy task due to the artist’s unique use of pigments, resins, and glues. The fact that the painting is unvarnished and directly exposed to the environment further complicates the conservation process. Conservators will likely begin by carefully documenting the extent of the damage and reviewing past cases of Rothko restorations.

"Rothko works seem to have terrible luck – this isn't the first damaged Rothko we've heard about," Helm added, referencing the 2012 incident at London’s Tate Modern where Black on Maroon was deliberately vandalized. In that case, the perpetrator, Wlodzimierz Umaniec, was sentenced to two years in prison, and repairs cost around 200,000 pounds (USD 268,356) and took 18 months to complete.