Explore the Related defacement of this artwork.
On 7 October 2012 another work from the same series, also titled Black on Maroon, was defaced with writing in black paint. The perpetrator told the BBC "I'm not a vandal" and compared himself with surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp, adding "Art allows us to take what someone's done and put a new message on it." It was later revealed that the man was Polish national Wlodzimierz Umaniec. His addition to the painting had included his name and the number 12, followed by the sentence: "a potential piece of yellowism".  The following day Umaniec was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage.  During the trial, prosecutor Gregor McKinley said the repair would cost £200,000.On 13 December 2012 Umaniec was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court to two years in jail. Judge Roger Chapple told him that his actions had been "entirely deliberate, planned and intentional". Talking about "yellowism" Judge Chapple added that it was "wholly and utterly unacceptable to promote it by damaging a work of art" which he called a "gift to the nation".The BBC's Arts Editor Will Gompertz explained that the ink from Umaniec's marker caused "a deep wound, not a superficial graze", and that the vandal had caused "significant damage". In order to work out how best to restore the painting conservators created a replica of the damaged work and tested various solvents. It was estimated that restoration of the painting might take up to 18 months to complete, as the many layers applied by Rothko would have to be replicated individually. In May 2014 the restored painting was returned to public display and Umaniec offered a public apology, saying: "I apologise to [the] British people for what I did. I suppose I wanted to change the art world but of course I did it in a very, very wrong way. I spent almost a year and a half in prison and the British people have paid huge restoration costs, so it definitely wasn't worth doing it, and I'm sure the restoration team has done a wonderful job and I encourage everyone to see the restored picture."
Will Gompertz Polish Marcel Duchamp London BBC Inner London Crown Court