‘BORED’ GUARD VANDALISES RUSSIAN ARTWORK IN GALLERY

A security guard at an art gallery in Russia has been accused of vandalising a famous artwork by drawing on it.

The artwork is an avant-garde painting featuring three abstract figures known as Three Figures and painted by Anna Leporskaya. The three figures are known for being eyeless.

During December, two visitors to the gallery spotted eyes drawn in ballpoint pen and alerted staff.

The incident happened on the security guard’s first day of working at the Yeltsin Center in Yekaterinburg. Although his motives are still unknown, it seems as if the security guard was simply bored.

The BBC reports that it was the security guard’s first day on the job and that he has since been fired. Police have opened a criminal investigation.

It’s believed that restoration work will soon commence, estimated to cost in the region of more than R51 000.

The BBC further reports that luckily, the culprit did not apply strong pressure to the canvas with the pen and as a result, the damage did not go very deep. But it added that the paint layer on the left-hand face in the painting had crumbled slightly.

Image credit: Daily Mail