The portrait will be restored and eventually returned to the exhibition.

An 18th-century oil painting sustained damage at Florence's renowned Uffizi Gallery after a tourist, attempting to capture a selfie, fell backward. The incident occurred in front of a portrait depicting Ferdinando de' Medici, the Grand Prince of Tuscany, painted by Anton Domenico Gabbiani. The museum confirmed that the damage is repairable and swiftly addressed.

Director Simone Verde expressed concern over the growing trend of visitors prioritizing social media content over respect for artistic heritage. He stated, "The problem of visitors coming to museums to make memes or take selfies for social media is rampant," and hinted at potential restrictions on visitor behavior going forward to preserve the sanctity of cultural institutions.

The portrait was part of an exhibition titled "Florence and Europe: Arts of the Eighteenth Century," which features approximately 150 works of art. Following the incident, the exhibition is closed and scheduled to reopen on July 2, allowing time for the artwork's restoration. It will continue until its planned end date on November 28.

In a related occurrence earlier this year at the Palazzo Maffei in Verona, another incident involved a visitor damaging a bejeweled chair by artist Nicola Bolla during a photo opportunity. Museum director Vanessa Carlon remarked, "Sometimes we lose our brains to take a picture, and we don't think about the consequences," highlighting the need for greater awareness among visitors about the impact of their actions on cultural artifacts.