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Picasso painting damaged at New York museum

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Masterpieces get ripped
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Woman visiting Metropolitan Museum of Art falls onto painting, tears the canvas
  • Six-inch tear is on the lower right-hand corner of the painting
  • Painting should be ready in time for the late April exhibition of 250 works by Picasso
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New York (CNN) -- The Pablo Picasso painting "The Actor" will undergo repair work, after a woman visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art fell onto the painting and tore the canvas, according to the museum.

The museum said the Picasso work was damaged Friday when a visitor lost her balance and fell onto the unusually large 6-foot, 4-inch work.

The six-inch tear is on the lower right-hand corner of the painting, the museum said in a news release Sunday.

The museum did not provide details of the incident beyond saying the visitor fell onto the painting. Repair work should be "unobtrusive," the museum said.

The painting should be ready in time for the late April exhibition of 250 works by Picasso, the museum said.

The painting marked Picasso's move from his "Blue period" to his "Rose period," when his creations showcased costumed acrobats reminiscent of characters in Italian comedy stage plays, according to the museum.