[bbfan1991]

An American woman has been charged with criminal mischief after rubbing her bum against a $40m painting.

Carmen Tisch was arrested after allegedly scratching, punching and rubbing her naked bum against a painting valued at between $30m and $40m (£19m and £26m) in a museum in Denver, Colorado.

She is believed to have been drunk when she caused a reported $10,000 worth of damage to the Clyfford Still piece at the end of December,
Metro reports.

The 36-year-old apparently pulled her trousers down and "slid her buttocks against the oil-on-canvas work" - called '1957-J no.2' - in the recently opened Clyfford Still museum.

Police are also investigating whether urine got on the painting after Tisch relieved herself in the museum.

"It doesn't appear she urinated on the painting or that the urine damaged it, so she's not being charged with that," said Lynn Kimbrough, spokesperson for the Denver District Attorney's Office.

"You have to wonder where her friends were."

Experts said the painting can be restored as long as the canvas wasn't pierced.