Overview

• The chair, created by Nicola Bolla as an homage to Van Gogh’s 1888 painting, was encrusted with hundreds of Swarovski crystals and valued at about €15,000.
• Surveillance video shows one tourist losing balance and collapsing the chair’s delicate structure after sitting on it for a photo.
• Museum director Vanessa Carlon warned that art “must be respected and loved” after restorers said it was uncertain for days whether the piece could be saved.
• A warning sign and pedestal had been in place to deter touching, underscoring ongoing challenges in protecting fragile museum exhibits.
• Palazzo Maffei reported the case to local police, but no suspects have been identified or charged to date.