Teen Throws Water On Priceless Artwork At Met Museum In New York, Arrested

Joshua Vavrin, a 19-year-old, was reportedly arrested on Tuesday for allegedly throwing water at two renowned centuries-old paintings and tearing tapestries off the wall at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The incident occurred on Monday at around 4:40 pm (local time) inside the iconic Fifth Avenue museum on the Upper East Side, the New York Post reported.

The paintings targeted by Vavrin were "Princesse de Broglie", which is a 19th-century oil-on-canvas masterpiece 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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As per reports, the authorities mentioned that Vavrin was displaying erratic behaviour and was believed to be under the influence of an unknown substance during the incident. The witnesses pointed him out to the police, leading to his arrest.

Vavrin was charged with criminal mischief, with authorities estimating that the damages to the artworks amount to $4,000, with each artwork suffering around $1,000 in damage, the report stated, citing police. However, it was not confirmed by the museum.

As quoted by the Daily News, a museum spokesperson said, "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 said that a Pablo Picasso painting that vanished en route to an exhibition has been found, raising doubts if it was ever loaded onto a transport truck.

"Still Life with Guitar", a 1919 gouache and pencil work valued at around 600,000 euros ($700,000), disappeared in early October while being transported from Madrid to the southern city of Granada.