Boy’s fall in Taipei museum punches hole in €1.3 million painting

ART gallery trips aren’t always the first choice weekend activity for 12-year-old boys, but for one young Taiwanese lad such a Sunday excursion was a €1.3 million nightmare when he tripped and punched a hole in a masterpiece.

Video footage from a gallery in Taipei shows the teenager walk past the valuable Paolo Porpora painting while holding a drink, momentarily lose his footing and break his fall using the 350-year-old work of art.

He stands aghast, looking backwards and forwards from the art, named ‘Flowers,’ barely able to comprehend what’s happened. 

Luckily for him, the forgiving gallery has said that the boy’s family will not have to meet any of the cost of repairing the historic piece, reports the Taipei Times, and it is covered by insurance. 

An expert restorer has already been called in, and reports say Flowers can be repaired.

Sighs of relief all round then, but it seems likely this is one boy whose parents may excuse him from the educational gallery visits, at least for a while.