'Bored' security guard draws eyes on $1 million painting of faceless figures with ballpoint pen

Agencies | Moscow

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A 'bored' security guard allegedly ruined a $1 million painting on his first day at work - by drawing eyes on its faceless figures.

The painting, called 'Three Figures' (1932-1934) from the Tretyakov Gallery collection, by Anna Leporskaya shows was hung at the Yeltsin Centre in the Sverdlovsk Oblast region of west-central Russia.

It is alleged that the bored security guard drew eyes with a ballpoint pen on the faces of two of the three figures depicted in the painting.

The security guard from a private company who has not been named is said to be 60 years old. He has reportedly been fired.

The painting was displayed in 'The World as Non-Objectivity, The Birth of a New Art' exhibition on December 7, 2021.

After the incident, the police started an investigation for vandalism, which comes with a RUB 40,000 fine and a one-year correctional labour sentence.

The damage to the painting has been estimated at RUB 250,000.

It is unclear how much the painting is worth, but it was insured with the Alfa insurance company for RUB 74.9 million.

It has been reported that the company is paying for the restoration.

Experts are working on the painting in a bid to restore it to its former glory.

The Yeltsin Center 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."