Man Puts Foot Through $300,000 Painting At Milwaukee Museum (Painting Disturbed Him)

[matcom]

<snip>

A man put his foot through a $300,000 painting Wednesday afternoon at the Milwaukee Art Museum and told museum workers later that the image disturbed him.

The 22-year-old Pewaukee man started kicking "The Triumph of David" by Ottavio Vannini as it hung on the wall in the museum's Early European Gallery, said David Gordon, CEO and director of the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Painted in 1640, the oil painting depicts the outcome of the biblical tale of David and Goliath, with David carrying the giant Goliath's severed head, Gordon said.

"He was kicking it, aiming his blows at the head of Goliath, and then he pulled it off the wall and started kicking it," Gordon said.

"It happened very quickly. We have guards constantly on patrol in the museum, and he obviously waited until the guard had passed through that gallery," Gordon said.

A museum employee and security guard tried to stop the man from kicking the painting, and eventually he quit striking it, took off his shirt and lay prone on the gallery's floor, Gordon said.

The man told police that the image of Goliath's severed head disturbed him. Gordon said the man had a history of mental illness.

"He was being very calm and very polite (after the attack). . . . By then we had a room full of guards and staff members, and he just lay there until police arrived," Gordon said.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=587117

[Hugin]

1. Clowns have that effect on me...

So, I can sympathize.

[underpants]

2. I thought NBC cancelled that show

all that gayness and pill popping and what not

[RetroLounge]

3. Hey Matcom!

Stop reading wisconsin papers... You're making us look bad.

:rofl:

RL

[matcom]

4. like THAT is hard to do

:P

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

6. Sex with a dead deer?

I think Matcom may have missed that one.

[Pacifist Patriot]

8. Ha! Being from Florida I'm enjoying the shift in focus.

It's taking my mind off the insanity at home.

[Little Wing]

5. Did he yell "THIS IS SPARTAAA!!!" as he did it?

:rofl:

[Pacifist Patriot]

7. Here's a photo (pre-damage) if anyone is curious

http://www.artnet.com/picture.asp?date=20011003&catalog=14678&gallery=110889&lot=00049&filetype=2

[LynneSin]

11. Damnit, I just busted my monitor from kicking it in after viewing that disturbing picture

:eyes:

[Pacifist Patriot]

12. Darnit, I forgot the spontaneous urge to kick warning.

[dolo amber]

9. Anyone seen hedges lately?

:tinfoilhat:

[Callalily]

10. Ahhhhh geez . . .

That's just crazy. Wisconsonites are not all crazy, please trust me on that one.

The MAM is a great place. Here's a couple of pics I took when we held an event there.

[SOteric]

13. I'm guessing he was pretty disturbed ~before~ he saw the painting.

[Fran Kubelik]

14. That museum needs better security.

The same museum threw a MARTINI party where drunken attendees ruined a sculpture.

[BreweryYardRat]

15. A gibbering lunatic destroys a 360-year-old painting.

Charming. Who let that idiot out in public, anyway? Hope the security guards pistol-whipped him.

Seriously, if you can't refrain from destroying a damn antique just because you don't like the image, you should be locked up at home.

[petronius]

16. Aside from the destruction, what disturbs me in this story is that the painting

is described as "a $300,000 painting" rather than a '370 year old painting'. I mean, really - is the dollar value the only thing that makes something important, or can we value such things for their artistic merit and cultural significance?

[Initech]

17. Damn, sad end for a 360 year old painting...