On Friday, April 25, in the Dutch Museum, a painting created by Mark Rothko, a Latvian American abstract expression artist, was removed from being displayed in the museum due to damages made by a child who was visiting the museum. 

Many conservators would now have to repair the art piece after the child had scratched it while visiting the Rothko gallery in the museum where the painting was displayed. The name of the damage painting is Grey, Orange on Maroon, No.8; it was an abstract painting created in 1960. The painting measures to 7-feet and 6-inches high by 8-feet and 6-inches wide. It was a centerpiece of the Museum BoIjmans Van Beuningen located in Rotterdam; however, the centerpiece was on display temporarily in the Depot BoIjmans Van Beuningen, since the museum at the moment is closed due to a large-scale renovation.

The museum did confirm the incident in a statement that was emailed to the CNN, which stated, “The painting Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 by Mark Rothko has sustained superficial damages after a child touched the painting when it was on display. As a result, small scratches are visible in the unvarnished paint layer in the lower part of the painting. Conservation expertise has been sought in the Netherlands and abroad. We expect the work will be able to be shown again in the future.” 

The museum refused in saying how much the Grey, Orange on Maroon, No.8 painting is worth nor who could be expected to pay or how much the damage may cost in repairing the painting. Also, the museum responded to one of the questions about the painting’s own value on its website by stating, “The piece was bought in the 1970s for an undisclosed amount.” It continued to explain that “[a]n appraiser from an international auction house would be involved in a sale of an artist as famous as Rothko. The price is then dependent on the condition, size, and frame, etc.”