India, June 14 -- A tourist's reckless stunt at the Palazzo Maffei museum in Verona, Italy, has drawn widespread criticism after he damaged a fragile art installation by sitting on it for a photo.

Security footage from the museum shows the man ignoring the delicate nature of the exhibit and sitting directly on the chair, a work of art adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals, despite clear indications not to touch the piece. The chair collapsed under his weight as he lost balance, attempting to steady himself by grabbing onto a nearby wall.

Instead of mimicking his female companion, who had only pretended to sit for her photo, the man went ahead and sat on the artwork. The woman quickly came to his aid, and the pair fled the scene b...