Culture

Security Guard Draws Cartoon Eyes On $1M Painting, Says He Was ‘Bored’ On The Job

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Security Guard Draws Cartoon Eyes On $1M Painting, Says He Was 'Bored' On The Job

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  • A security guard was recently charged for doodling eyes on a famous painting titled Three Figures
  • The painting was completed in 1934 by Anna Leporskaya and is currently valued at $1M
  • The security guard is now facing a significant fine, and/or imprisonment for the vandalism

The Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center is a social and cultural center that opened in the town of Yekaterinburg in 2015. The museum is widely praised as being one of the best in Europe. It houses a number of rare artifacts and works of art that celebrate Russia’s cultural heritage.

One of these paintings is Anna Leporskaya’s Three Figures. Leporskaya started the painting in 1932 and completed it in 1934. It features three faceless heads all standing at different depths. Today, the artwork is valued at approximately $1 million dollars.

Security Guard’s Million Dollar Blunder

According to The Art Newspaper Russia, who originally reported the story, the security guard was working his first day on the job at the Yeltsin Center when he decided to draw eyes on Three Figures with a ballpoint pen. He later revealed he did it because he was bored on the job.

Two weeks then went by before the eyes were noticed by visitors. The Yeltsin Center then filed a report with the police and tracked down the security guard.

Here’s a quote from The Art Newspaper Russia describing the vandalism,

The ink has slightly penetrated into the paint layer since the titanium white used to paint the faces is not covered with author’s varnish, as is often the case in abstract painting of that time. Fortunately, the vandal drew with a pen without strong pressure, and therefore the relief of the strokes as a whole was not disturbed.

Legal Repercussions for Vandalizing Three Figures

The security guard is currently facing criminal charges and could face a fine, work sentence, and/or up to three months in prison if found guilty.

And while one could guess the status of his employment at the center he was, in fact, fired after the incident.

Best Twitter Reactions to the Incident

Here are some humorous reactions found on Twitter.

What Has Happened Since

Luckily the damage isn’t as grave as it could be. Three Figures left the museum for the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow to be restored. It will cost around $3,300 to remove the pen marks. Thankfully the insurance on the painting will cover all the costs.

The Yeltsin Center has since added protective screens over all the remaining works of art inside.

To the security guard, maybe just think about doodling on sticky notes next time.