Winged vandal: how a Milanese pigeon marked an ancient masterpiece for 4 thousand euros
It is known that if a bird has marked you with its droppings, then this is for money. And what does folk wisdom say in the event that a bird "dirties" a thing whose value is estimated in millions of dollars? It was with such an extraordinary case that the staff of the Palazzo Marino in Milan, known for its exposition of paintings by Renaissance masters, encountered.
A terrible incident from the point of view of art connoisseurs occurred 4 months ago, when the summer heat reigned in Milan. Through a window open for ventilation, a fairly large pigeon flew into one of the halls of the Palazzo Marino, which did not come up with anything better than defecating in low-level flight on Filippo Abbiatti's painting "David with the head of Goliath", painted in the XVII century.
According to the press service of the museum, "wealth" fell both on the head of the young hero and on his terrible trophy. Also got a carved gilded frame, which is of historical and cultural value. As a result, more than 60% of the Renaissance masterpiece was stained with bird droppings, which, due to its caustic nature, poses a serious danger to the paintings.
Palazzo Marino, where the act of bird vandalism took place, is part of the Castello Sforzesco (Sforza Castle) Museum in Milan. The canvas that was injured when meeting the bird is located in the Hall of the Clock. Its author, Filippo Abbiatti, belonged to the Lombard school of painting and was one of the most highly paid painters of the XVII-XVIII century. The master left behind an extensive creative legacy, which will not be easy to make even a flock of pelicans.
Keywords: Pigeons | Art | Italy | Birds | Restoration