Botero sculpture damaged after fall at Museo Nacional de Colombia

A bronze sculpture by Fernando Botero, titled ‘La paloma de la paz’ (The Dove of Peace), was damaged after falling at the Museo Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá on Tuesday, October 7.

The accident occurred in the museum's Rotonda hall when a visitor leaned against the pedestal to take a photograph. Although the piece had two fastening supports at its base, the movement caused it to tip over and fall onto an iron grate on the second floor. No visitors or staff members were injured during the incident.

A technical assessment by the museum's Conservation Area revealed scratches, abrasions, and loss of the pictorial layer on the head, tail, wings, and base. The impact also caused metal dents, most notably on the sculpture's beak. The artwork will now undergo a specialized restoration process to repair the structural and surface damage.