A recently published article in The Art Newspaper sheds light on a little-known act of vandalism that occurred at the National Gallery in London in 1968. Titled “Vermeer’s Vandal,” the piece reveals the untold story of an attack on Johannes Vermeer’s painting, Young Woman Seated at a Virginal. The article, accompanied by never-before-seen photographs of the damage, explains how an unidentified vandal used a razor blade to slash the work. While the attack went largely unreported at the time, the painting was successfully restored and is now protected by glazing. The full story details the failed attempt to cut out the canvas fragment and the gallery’s decision to withhold information to avoid further encouraging the perpetrator.

The article is available on The Art Newspaper’s website.