Vermeer's vandal: the untold story of a vicious attack at London's National Gallery in 1968

"What makes this attack extremely disturbing is that the vandal attempted to completely remove the most important area of the composition: the head of the young woman. As the then museum director, Martin Davies, told his trustees: "It seems probable that this was an attempt to cut out the head." Had the vandal succeeded, they most likely would have stolen the circular canvas fragment (just over 10cm in diameter)."

"The damage was swiftly restored and is now virtually imperceptible; the painting is now protected with glazing National Gallery, London The loss of the head would have been so catastrophic that it might well have been impossible to restore the painting in a meaningful way. Young Woman Seated at a Virginal would then have had to be taken off display permanently-effectively reducing Vermeer's small surviving oeuvre."

In 1968 a vandal attacked Vermeer's Young Woman Seated at a Virginal at the National Gallery in London, attempting to remove the sitter's head. The attacker likely intended to cut out and steal the circular canvas fragment, just over 10cm in diameter. The damage was rapidly restored and is now virtually imperceptible, and the painting is protected with glazing. Had the head been lost the work might have been impossible to restore meaningfully and would likely have been taken off display, reducing Vermeer's surviving oeuvre. The vandal was never identified and the motive remains unknown, with attendants missing the damage for about an hour.

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