Little Hands, Big Damage: The Costly Accident at a Rotterdam Museum

A child accidentally damaged a $50 million Rothko painting at a museum in Rotterdam, marking it with scratches.

The museum declined to release photos of the damage, but assured that the painting can be restored.

The incident occurred when a young child brushed against the painting, Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 (1960) by Mark Rothko, at the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. The child, reportedly under five years old, touched the lower part of the work, causing visible scratches in the unvarnished paint layer.

Museum spokesperson Vincent Cardinaal confirmed that the damage was accidental, stating, “It happened because a child, in an unsupervised moment, touched the lower part of the work. There was no intent. This was not vandalism.” The painting has been removed for restoration and the museum is researching the next steps for treatment.



Art crime expert Arthur Brand highlighted the sensitivity of Rothko’s unvarnished surfaces, emphasizing that even minor damage can result in significant restoration costs. Despite this, Brand expressed the importance of letting children engage with art, stating, “We should protect these works -- absolutely -- but we also need to let kids be around art. That’s how they fall in love with it.”

The incident has sparked discussions about the risks of displaying high-value art in open-access settings, but the museum stands by its approach. As the scratched Rothko painting awaits restoration, Brand reflected, “In every crowd of 100, there’s always one person -- or in this case, one tiny hand -- capable of a very big accident.”

Overall, the museum is confident that the painting can be restored and shown again in the future. The child’s accidental damage serves as a reminder of the fragility of valuable artworks and the need for both protection and accessibility in art spaces.

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