Timur Serebrykov, 27, is an immigrant from Azerbaijan, and his fiancée is due to give birth soon, lawyer James Sheets said. Concerns about his life and future caused Serebrykov to use a key to slash Night Sky #2 by Latvian artist Vija Celmins on May 16.

"He's under a lot of pressure, and he just snapped and did something dumb," Sheets said.

Pittsburgh police arrested Serebrykov on a charge of institutional vandalism May 20 after museum officials examined a surveillance tape. Serebrykov apologized and confessed, telling police that he simply did not like the painting.