The tourist reportedly broke two toes off the work, which was the plaster model for the Paolina Borghese (Venus Victix) masterpiece in Galleria Borghese, sculpted by Canova in 1804.
The news was announced by politician and art critic Vittorio Sgarbi, the president of the foundation in charge of the museum which is located in Possagno, Canova’s hometown in Italy’s northern Veneto region.
The incident took place on Friday, with the tourist allegedly fleeing the scene before being caught.
The museum subsequently released a statement via its Facebook page on Saturday.
Sgarbi has called on police to identify the “vandal” and “not let him return to his homeland unpunished” for the “unacceptable” damage caused to the work, Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano reported.
The plaster cast has been in Possagno since 1829, seven years after the death of Canova in nearby Venice.
