Child defaces abstract painting by Mark Rothko worth tens of millions on display in Dutch museum

Saturday, May 3, 2025 

On Monday, "Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8," an abstract painting created by late abstract painter Mark Rothko was scratched by a child while on display in a Dutch museum during what was described as an "unguarded moment." The 1960 painting, which was characterized as "a meditative and striking color landscape," was said to be worth tens of millions of dollars.

A museum spokesperson told People Magazine that was dealt what was described as "superficial damage" after being touched by the child. According to the spokesperson, said the child's actions resulted in visible "small scratches" on then the unvarnished paint layer in the its lower section.

A spokesperson for the museum told BBC, "Conservation expertise has been sought in the Netherlands and abroad. We are currently researching the next steps for the treatment of the painting. We expect that the work will be able to be shown again in the future."

Sophie McAloone, who serves as conservation manager at the Fine Art Restoration Company, was quoted saying that pieces similar to No. 8 are "particularly susceptible to damage [...] owing to a combination of their complex modern materials, lack of a traditional coating layer, and intensity of flat colour fields, which make even the smallest areas of damage instantly perceptible. In this case, scratching of the upper paint layers can have a significant impact on the viewing experience of the piece."

Jonny Helm, a marketing manager, stated that Rothko's amalgamations of pigments, resins, glues were "quite complex." According to him, "Rothko works seem to have terrible luck – this isn't the first damaged Rothko we've heard about." "Black on Maroon," another of Rothko's works, was damaged by a vandal named Wlodzimierz Umaniec in a London gallery in 2012.

The museum did not identify the child, and did specify who would be financially responsible for the painting's restoration, or the potential costs. The museum also declined to share photos of the damage.

• Anna Lamche. "Child damages €50m Rothko painting in Dutch museum" — BBC, April 28, 2025
• Rachel McRady. "Child Scratches Rothko Painting Worth $56 Million in 'Unguarded Moment' at Museum" — People, April 28, 2025