Boy stumbles, damages $1.5 million painting in Taiwan

It's the stuff of nightmares: Strolling through a museum, suddenly tripping, and damaging a very expensive work of art.

And that's exactly what happened to a boy in Taiwan.

The 12 year old was at a Leonardo da Vinci-themed show at Taipei's Huashan 1914 creative arts center, when he stumbled. He managed to break his fall -- but punched a hole in a $1.5 million painting in the process, CNN reports.

"The boy was probably too concentrated in listening to what the guide was saying, and therefore stumbled," Sun Chi-hsuan, one of the exhibition's organizers told CNN.

The whole thing was captured on the museum's cameras.

Fortunately, the painting is insured, meaning the cost of repairing the damaged will not fall on the shoulders of the boy or his family.

"I'm actually thinking of asking the boy back to be a volunteer in the exhibition for one day, as a penalty," Sun told CNN.

As for the painting? It's being carefully restored by experts.

Let this be a lesson to museum-goers everywhere. And remember -- the ropes are there for a reason.