A teenager was arrested after splashing water on two centuries-old paintings and tearing a tapestry off the wall in a bizarre incident at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, police sources said Tuesday.
Joshua Vavrin, 19 was charged with criminal mischief after witnesses pointed him out to cops Monday for attacking multiple artworks around 4:40 p.m. inside the museum at Fifth Ave. and E. 82nd St. on the Upper East Side, cops said.
The affected paintings included the “Princesse de Brogile” by French artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, an oil painting nearly 200 years old, and the “Madonna and Child with Saints” by Italian artist Girolamo dai Libri, an oil-and-tempera painting more than 500 years old, sources said.
Vavrin was believed to be under the influence during the odd episode, sources said.
No one was injured, police said. Each of the artworks suffered around $1,000 in damages, police added, though the museum did not confirm that.
“On Monday afternoon, a visitor at The Met displaying erratic behavior was escorted out of the museum,” a museum spokesperson said. “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.”
Vavrin’s arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court was pending on Tuesday.
