Why Tate Modern should show Rothko a little respect

A restored Black on Maroon is back in the place where it was vandalised 18 months ago. But is it the atmosphere of this noisy, pop-cultural gallery that incites irreverence towards art?

Tate Modern unveils painstakingly restored Rothko

It's a red letter day or a black on maroon one anyway. Mark Rothko's Black on Maroon, vandalised at Tate Modern in 2012, has at last gone on view again. It was clearly a serious attack, for the restoration has been slow and difficult. Now everyone is happy. Rothko's family praise the Tate restorers for their dedicated work. One of the most powerful modern paintings in Britain has returned to the light. Hooray.

But has the Tate thought at all about why the attack happened, and has it considered for a second can it bring itself to ask if the less than conventional atmosphere of Tate Modern as an art museum may encourage a lack of reverence for its art? After all, it's not long since some children were spotted using its Donald Judd as a climbing frame. Is that so surprising when Tate Modern is famous for presenting slides as art?

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