Denver Woman Accused of Attacking $30M Painting
A 36-year-old Colorado woman has been accused of drunkenly attacking and then rubbing her buttocks against a painting worth over $30 million, according to the Denver District Attorney's Office.
Carmen Tisch has been charged with criminal mischief after allegedly entering the Clyfford Still Museum, approaching a painting known as "1957-J no.2? and proceeding to "scratch, hit, and lean against the painting," the statement said.
According to Lynn Kimbrough, a spokesperson for the Denver District Attorney's office, Tisch then pulled down her pants and slid down the side of the painting while urinating on herself. The urine does not appear to have damaged the painting.
However, Tisch's other actions caused an estimated $10,000 in damage to the painting, which is valued between $30 and $40 million.
Born in 1904 in Grandin, North Dakota, Clyfford Still was widely viewed as laying the groundwork for the Abstract Expressionist movement, characterized by abstract forms, expressive brushwork, and monumental scale. He died in 1980.
Tisch, who is believed to have been drunk at the time, is currently being held in the Denver County jail on $20,000 bond. It was unclear if she had an attorney.
