I have a personal story to share (cc @artcrimeprof) 1/ https://twitter.com/artcrimeprof/status/1301234485011382273

I grew up in Illinois and my fondest childhood memories are my gram taking me and my brother and cousins into Chicago to visit museums on days we had off from school. We visited them all many times, including the Art Institute 2/

They have a world class collection, including this painting that you may know because it's famous or because you saw it in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, by Georges Seurat 3/

This painting uses pointillism - it's a bunch of tiny dots. You can see this really well at the end of the museum scene of Ferris Bueller, actually! 4/

Now, I am a tactile person. Talk to everyone I've dated and they will tell you my annoying habit of wanting to touch EVERYTHING 5/

This painting is a bunch of dots. Is it bumpy?

During one of those visits to the Art Institute w/ my family, I was consumed with the need to know if it was bumpy. I was absolutely old enough (teenaged) to know that I could not touch this priceless work of art to find out! 6/

So I went up to it. I leaned in very close to see if I could see shadows from the points indicating they were bumps.

And then I leaned in and ran my grubby little finger over the canvas because I had to know 7/

I hear some of you judging teenaged-me right now. If you're doing that, stop reading this thread right now because I'm going to tell you if it was bumpy. If you're judging me, you don't deserve to know. 8/

It was NOT bumpy

It felt totally smooth 9/

I rejoiced in this revelation right as all the VERY LOUD ALARMS began sounding in the gallery. Several security guards ran in. There was A Commotion. 10/

I am most sad about this because my gram is one who does not like this kind of thing. I'm so sorry gram 11/

Anyway, I did not get kicked out, but I did get sternly talked to. I apologized.

Also, that painting is now displayed behind protective plexiglass.

/end