Visitors at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam were horrified when a tourist’s casual plop onto a reproduction of Vincent van Gogh’s favorite café chair ended in disaster, captured in a viral video that’s left viewers gasping and furious.
The clip, shot by @ArtLoverNL, shows the unsuspecting traveler lowering himself onto the delicate wooden seat—only for it to collapse under his weight, sending him tumbling to the floor amid a spray of splintered wood View on X.
Eyewitnesses told The Guardian the chair was part of a meticulously restored set from the 19th-century Café de la Gare, where Van Gogh painted some of his most iconic works. “It was like watching history shatter,” one stunned visitor said.
@MuseumInsider “The chair was a fragile artifact—built for display, not for sitting.” via X
Security footage reviewed by the museum’s conservation team confirmed the chair’s brittle joints had been weakened by humidity fluctuations in the gallery—factors that had gone unnoticed until the accident New York Times reports.
The tourist, who has not been publicly identified, was helped to his feet and escorted away without pressing charges—though the museum has demanded compensation for the estimated €25,000 restoration cost Reuters.
@ConservationPro “Historic artifacts require controlled environments—this chair was never meant to bear full adult weight.” via X
Social media exploded with outrage under #VanGoghFail. Instagram user @CafeVanGogh posted a side-by-side of the incident, captioned “When you sit on art instead of admiring it,” garnering over 2 million views via Instagram.
Experts say the incident underscores a growing problem: museumgoers treating priceless artifacts like amusement-park props. Dr. Elena Martinez, head of the International Council of Museums’ conservation committee, told CNN that visitor education is crucial to prevent similar mishaps.
@DrElenaMartinez “Museums must reinforce ‘look but don’t touch’ policies with both signage and staff presence.” View on X
Survey data from the Netherlands Museum Association shows a 30% increase in artifact damage incidents over the past five years, often involving well-intentioned tourists unaware of fragility—like the woman who leaned on a 15th-century altarpiece at a Utrecht cathedral last spring BBC News.
In response, the Van Gogh Museum announced it will install additional barriers around vulnerable exhibits and expand its visitor orientation videos to highlight conservation needs, as detailed in a museum press release.
The shattered chair has since been cataloged as an “incident artifact,” with conservators photographing each fragment before beginning a painstaking reassembly process. Chief restorer Lukas van der Meer explained to NPR that they hope to have the chair back on display by early 2026.
@RestorationArt “Reconstructing the chair is like stitching together a piece of living history.” via X
Meanwhile, comments on the viral video have been unanimous: “How do you sit on a 150-year-old chair?” “Some people just don’t think!” and “Art isn’t furniture!” A TikTok trend has emerged where creators attempt to sit on modern replicas of antique chairs—often leading to equally comedic collapses.
For the millions who flock to see Van Gogh’s sunflowers and starry nights, the episode is a sobering reminder of the stewardship that art demands. As one museum attendee tweeted, “Next time, I’ll admire the chair from a respectful distance” via X.
