Officials at the UK’s National Trust charity were appalled earlier this year after bright blue marks were found all over the face, arms and torso of a statue by sculptor John Bacon at Croome Court in Worcestershire. The 230-year-old statue of the Roman naiad (water nymph), known as Sabrina, was covered in childlike doodles, prompting nervous parents to wonder if their own offspring grabbed a pencil and committed this crime against the art.
According to Birmingham Mail, many people took to Twitter to comment. A contributor called Sarah Sheward tweeted that “in an ideal world this wouldn’t happen…parents should watch [their children] but haven’t we all looked away at some point? Jason Thompson of the cultural organization Culture Northumberland added cheekily: “The most bourgeois vandalism I have ever heard of. Can we send any help to the people of Worcestershire? Is there a helpline for them with trained counsellors? And they don’t have children there? We think the expressive childish markings and interest in Roman history point to a Midlands Cy Twombly in the making.
