In a bizarre incident in Russia, A security guard allegedly ruined a $1 million (Rs 7.47 crore) painting on his first day at work. Artist Anna Leporskaya drew the expensive ‘Three Figures’ artwork.
The guard, aged 60 years old, was reportedly “bored” and decided to draw eyes on the painting of two faceless figures out of three by ballpoint pen. It was also his very first day of duty.
The painting was hung at the Yeltsin Centre in the Sverdlovsk Oblast region of west-central Russia. It was displayed in ‘The World as Non-Objectivity, The Birth of a New Art’ exhibition on December 7, 2021.
The security guard was immediately afterwards fired from his job. The police have also started investigating the guard under vandalism, which, if convicted, comes with a RUB-40,000 (Rs 39,900) fine and a one-year correctional labour sentence.
The damage to the painting has been estimated at RUB 250,000 (Rs 2,49,500). It is unclear how much the artwork is worth, but it was insured with the Alfa insurance company for RUB 74.9 million (Rs 7.47 crore).
Experts are now restoring the painting to its former glory, and the insurance company is paying for the restoration.
The Yeltsin Center issued a statement and said, “The work was inspected by the restorer of the State Tretyakov Gallery the very next day and sent to Moscow. The painting is being restored, the damage, according to the expert, can be eliminated without consequences for the work of art. The Yeltsin Center refrained from commenting on this situation in hot pursuit, as an internal investigation of the incident and interaction with law enforcement agencies were underway.”
