A five -year -old Polish girl accidentally damaged a valuable spider -shaped sculpture, made of 24 carat gold, exposed to the Orler Gallery in Jesolo, near Venice, Italy.
A gold sculpture of 30,000 euros, damaged by a 5 year photo girl: X
A visit to an art gallery in Jesolo, near Venice, turned into an expensive incident after a five-year-old girl accidentally damaged a 24-carat gold sculpture, signed by artist Carlo Pecorelli and valued at 30,000 euros.
The child, visiting her mother, was attracted by a white canvas signed by Enrico Castellani, worth about 200,000 euros. According to Corriere della Sera, she escaped from the parent's supervision and tried to draw on the painting. In order to reach him, the little girl climbed the sculpture “Athens Dorata”, in the form of a spider, causing to break one of the feet of the work.
The manager of the gallery intervened quickly and managed to prevent other damages. The work was temporarily replaced and is to be restored by a specialized company, the costs being covered by insurance.
The artist's reaction
Carlo Pecorelli explained that the work requires a complex restoration:
“It must be restored, welded, polished and refreshed with 24 carat gold. There are operations that I cannot perform, but must be entrusted to a specialized company”.
The artist added that the damage could have been much larger:
“After all, the situation could have been even more serious, because near the work of Castellani there is another work of Alligero Boetti, whose total value amounts to half a million euros”.
Additional security measures
The representatives of the Orler gallery have transmitted that they will increase the public supervision and have reached an agreement with the child's family on compensation, but its value was not made public.
“Unfortunately, despite all the precautionary measures, such incidents can happen ”, said Pecorelli. “In all exhibitions, small or large, and regardless of the value of the work, maximum vigilance and adequate protective systems, such as showcases and sensors, is required..
