Art Critic

You just can't please everybody:

A man who claimed he found the subject disturbing put his foot through a 17th-century painting valued at $300,000 at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

David Gordon, museum CEO and director, said the 1640 work, "The Triumph of David" by Ottavio Vannini, was hanging in the museum's Early European Gallery when the incident happened Wednesday.

The oil painting depicts the end of the biblical tale of David and Goliath, with David carrying the severed head of the giant Goliath, Gordon said.

"[The man] was kicking it, aiming his blows at the head of Goliath, and then he pulled it off the wall and started kicking it," Gordon said....

The 22-year-old Pewaukee man told police he was disturbed by the image of Goliath's severed head.

There's no word yet on the nationality or religion of the attacker, but I'd be interested to find out if this assault might of had roots in something other than just the subject matter.

There is good news, though. I understand that the Milwaukee Art Museum's collection of Velvet Elvis paintings survived intact.