A German art museum worker and aspiring artist hoping for a big break got the sack after he smuggled in one of his own paintings and hung it up in the gallery — home to famous pieces by renowned artists like Leonardo Da Vinci and Henri Mattise.
The 51-year-old employee had drilled two holes into a wall to mount his painting in Munich’s Pinakothek der Moderne, hoping for an “artistic breakthrough” authorities told the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
But guards quickly realized something was amiss, according to a spokesperson for the museum: “Supervisors notice something like this immediately.”
The man was an employee of the gallery’s technical services team and described himself as a freelance artist.
“The employee considers himself as an artist and most likely saw his role in the museum’s installation team as a day job to support his true calling,” a spokesperson for the Pinakothek told the Guardian.
He mounted his piece, which was 23 by 47 inches, in an empty passageway on Feb. 23, however, the incident was not made public until Monday.
The painting was hung during the early morning hours and spotted by staff soon after the museum opened for the day.
“The decision was made to keep the picture on display while the gallery was open and take it down after its closing time at 6 p.m.,” the spokesperson said
In addition to losing his job, the man was also permanently banned from the gallery, which is one of the largest featuring modern art in Europe.
The museum would not comment on the painting’s subject or style as to avoid encouraging “copycat pranksters.”
“All I can say is that we did not receive any positive feedback on the addition from visitors to the gallery,” the spokesperson said.
