The Tall Blond with a black hole. The Hab Galerie in Nantes was the scene of an unfortunate incident on April 18 which saw this canvas by Swiss artist Till Rabus adorned with an unfortunate tear. It had to be entrusted urgently to a restorer after a worker working in the adjoining pizzeria crossed the wall, then the painting, with the bit of his drill.
Quickly warned by the Voyage à Nantes team, which is organizing the exhibition dedicated to the Rabus brothers, Till and Léopold, the artist told Presse Océan that he “had in mind the image of this guy with his drill that makes this huge bullshit…” The painter prefers to take the incident as a joke. “What an adventure ! My first reaction was amazement and astonishment. Afterwards, it almost made me laugh,” he added.
The worker was doing work in the pasta and pizza restaurant adjacent to the gallery. Armed with a drill fitted with a 20 millimeter drill bit, he went through the wall and the canvas with it. On the other side, a technician in the exhibition space saw light in a black area of the painting. Approaching, he discovered a hole that came from the neighboring room. According to Presse Océan, very quickly, a bailiff was dispatched to the scene to see the damage to the painting estimated at nearly 30,000 euros.
Removed from the picture rails, the painting disappeared from the Hab Galerie to be quickly restored. And this in the greatest discretion, according to Presse Océan. Moreover, if Voyage à Nantes has agreed to communicate with the local press, its organizers today refuse to comment on the case.
Le Grand Blond, a large format of 2.30 meters by three, represents a figure seated in the forest at night. According to the artist, the restorer should have no trouble repairing the canvas, since the area of the hole is black, the color is not difficult to find. Till Rabus added: “I know the restorers do an incredible job of resuming the fibers of the canvas, I don’t worry. We won’t see anything after the work. Especially since I use very good quality linen and very good oils.» It is impossible to know when the work will return to its place in the exhibition.