Teen Arrested for Vandalizing Priceless Artworks at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

Representative image.

A 19-year-old named Joshua Vavrin was reportedly taken into custody on Tuesday after allegedly throwing water at two valuable centuries-old paintings and pulling tapestries from the walls at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art. According to the New York Post, the incident took place on Monday around 4:40 pm (local time) inside the prestigious Fifth Avenue museum located on the Upper East Side.

The targeted artworks included "Princesse de Broglie," a 19th-century oil-on-canvas masterpiece created by French portraitist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, and "Madonna and Child with Saints," a 16th-century altarpiece by Italian artist Girolamo dai Libri.

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According to reports, authorities stated that Vavrin was exhibiting erratic behavior and appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance during the incident. Witnesses identified him to police, resulting in his arrest.

Vavrin faces charges of criminal mischief, with authorities estimating total damages to the artworks at approximately $4,000, each piece suffering around $1,000 in damage, according to police reports. However, the museum has not confirmed these figures.

A museum spokesperson told the Daily News, "On Monday afternoon, a visitor at The Met displaying erratic behavior was escorted out of the museum. No individuals or works of art were harmed. We are grateful to our security staff and to the NYPD for ensuring the safety of The Met's visitors, staff, and collection."

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Spanish Police Recover Missing $700,000 Picasso Painting

In October, Spanish police announced the recovery of a Pablo Picasso painting that had disappeared while en route to an exhibition, raising questions about whether it had ever been loaded onto the transport truck.

"Still Life with Guitar," a 1919 gouache and pencil work valued at approximately 600,000 euros ($700,000), went missing in early October during transport from Madrid to the southern city of Granada.