Twelve-year-old boy trips over at Taiwan gallery and punches a hole in a $2.5million painting

The 12-year-old stumbled over the rope barrier separating visitors from the 17th-century oil painting. Photo / YouTube

A Taiwanese boy suffered a fall worthy of Charlie Chaplin when he tripped - fist-first - into a £1million (NZ$2.41million) painting at an art gallery in Taipei.

CCTV shows the 12-year-old stumbling over the rope barrier separating visitors from the 17th-century oil painting, and as he is catching his balance, he ends up punching a hole in the canvas.

The artwork, by Italian painter Paolo Porpora, has been valued at over NT$50 million, some £1million.

The incident took place at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park, during an exhibition called The Face of Leonardo, Images of a Genius, in the Taiwanese capital this weekend.

According to representatives for the gallery, the boy was not watching his step as he was concentrating on a guided tour talking place off camera, FocusTaiwanreports.

The CCTV footage sees the boy, dressed in a bright blue Puma t-shirt and holding a drink, walk past the painting and tripping over the rope barrier.

As he stumbles, he holds out his hand to catch his fall, putting his fist through the valuable work of art.

Steadying himself he can be seen staring up at the painting, and, realising what he has done, nervously looking around the room for help.

The Paolo Porpora painting, called Flowers, is believed to have been painted in the mid-1600s, and was one of more than 50 paintings on display as part of the exhibition.

The oil work suffered a tear in the canvas and will be restored in Taiwan before being taken back to Italy, according to FocusTaiwan.

Fortunately for the boy (and his parents), the gallery has said it will ask its insurance company to cover the costs of restoring the painting and to compensate the owner.

"All 55 paintings in the venue are authentic pieces and they are very rare and precious," representatives for the gallery wrote on the exhibition's Facebook page.

"Once these works are damaged, they are permanently damaged... we hope that everyone can protect these precious artworks with us."

- Daily Mail