Here's how the tourist broke the Canova statue. Video of the damage

The tourist who broke the toes of the plaster model of Paolina Borghese as Antonio Canova’s Venus Victrix by Antonio Canova last Friday at theAntonio CanovaGypsotheca Museum in Possagno (this is the model from which the 1804 marble masterpiece now housed at the Galleria Borghese was made) was identified today. The man, a 50-year-old Austrian, was spotted by carabinieri from Pieve del Grappa, and images from the Possagno museum’s internal surveillance cameras were released today.

In the footage, the man is seen lying down on the plaster to have a photograph taken by a woman, his wife: after which, in getting up, the tourist leans badly on the statue’s feet, breaking them. He can be seen visibly upset shortly after the incident, after which, however, he gets up and walks away pretending not to worry.

The 50-year-old man wrote a letter today apologizing for the incident. We learn from the missive that the man, after reading about the incident in Austrian newspapers, tried to get in touch with Vittorio Sgarbi, president of the Canova Foundation, which runs the Possagno museum, to no avail. On the fact that he left pretending to be unaware, he wrote that he was unaware of the consequences of his act, and for this reason, according to him, he would have continued his visit to the museum normally. Finally, acknowledging his “irresponsible behavior,” he let it be known that he was fully available. The tourist was in Possagno for his 50th birthday-the celebration will now cost him dearly.

“An apology has arrived,” Sgarbi told the Adnkronos news agency. “Evidently the tourist was advised by someone, perhaps by his wife. He admitted his foolish act. It’s better than nothing. It went as I imagined and we even have a video to prove it. The gentleman quietly laid down on the Pauline Borghese to rest, other than a selfie. By now people mistake culture for a couch. At this point we should get couches to put in museums so everyone can lie down. It was a sensational episode. Good thing he at least sent an apology.”

Here's how the tourist broke the Canova statue. Video of the damage

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