Couple destroys Swarovski-covered ‘Van Gogh’ chair in Italian museum mishap

Man sits on crystal-covered art chair, accidentally destroys it

A couple was caught in the act of damaging a piece of art at Palazzo Maffei, a museum in Verona, Italy. (Credit: Palazzo Maffei Verona via Storyful)

A couple was caught on surveillance camera destroying a piece of art at Palazzo Maffei, a museum in the Italian city of Verona.

The backstory:

Video captured a couple, who were apparently alone in the room, taking pictures and pretending to sit on Nicola Bolla’s "Van Gogh" chair – "a very delicate work, entirely covered in hundreds of Swarovski crystals," according to Palazzo Maffei.

Minutes later, the man is seen sitting on the chair, which collapses under his weight.

What they're saying:

"Every museum’s nightmare has come true," the museum wrote to Facebook.

"For days we didn’t know if it would be possible to restore it. But we did it," Palazzo Maffei said.

The museum shared the footage, saying it wanted to remind of "the fragility of art and the need to take care of it."

"Art must be loved and enjoyed, but always respected!"