THE vandalism of a priceless work of art might be expected to land the offender in court and consign the picture to history.

However the attack on Diego Velázquez’s 17th century masterpiece The Toilet of Venus by suffragette Mary Richardson in the National Gallery in 1914 lent the majestic artwork fresh fame and enduring celebrity.

The protestor's attack left vicious slashes up the nude’s back.

So iconic was the damaged work, a copy of the unrestored picture by the artist Nicholas Middleton, complete with painted cuts – has been sold at auction in Oxford – 107 years to the day that the original was defiled.

The picture, with knife strokes added in realistic ‘trompe l’oeil’ style – reached a hammer price of or £7,400 at Mallams in St Michael’s Street last week – well exceeding its estimate of £800.

The original picture is also known as the ‘Rokeby Venus’ after the Yorkshire country house in which it once hung.