Tourist Breaks 19th-Century Sculpture’s Toes During Selfie Mishap in Italy

An Austrian tourist snapped the toes off a 19th-century sculpture in an Italian museum Friday while climbing on the statue’s lap in an attempt to take a selfie. The sculpture, Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix, was created by Italian sculptor Antonio Canova in 1808 and is housed at the Museo Antonio Canova. The offending visitor reportedly “left the museum in a hurry without reporting the incident,” according to a post on the museum’s Facebook page. Museum security personnel were able to identify the visitor using security footage and a guest log which was put in place at the start of the coronavirus pandemic to track foreign visitors. The tourist has not yet been found. Museum officials are quickly working to restore the piece. “Luckily, we found the broken parts of the gypsum,” museum director Moira Mascotto said. “That helps us with the restoration.”