Ecce Homo fresco by Elias Garcia Martinez botched by amateur restoration

An elderly parishioner has stunned Spanish cultural officials with an alarming and unauthorized attempt to restore a prized fresco.

(Behold the Man) by has held pride of place in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza for more than 100 years.

The woman took her brush to it after years of deterioration due to moisture.

Cultural officials said she had the best intentions and hoped it could be properly restored.

The woman, in her 80s, was reportedly upset at the way the fresco had deteriorated and took it on herself to “restore” the image.

Ecce Homo Behold the Man by Elias Garcia Martinez has held pride of place in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza for more than 100 years photo

Ecce Homo (Behold the Man) by Elias Garcia Martinez has held pride of place in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza for more than 100 years

The delicate brush strokes of Elias Garcia Martinez have been buried under a haphazard splattering of paint.

The once-dignified portrait now resembles a crayon sketch of a very hairy monkey in an ill-fitting tunic.

The woman appears to have realized she was out of her depth and contacted Juan Maria Ojeda, the city councilor in charge of cultural affairs.

Art historians are expected to meet at the church soon to discuss how to proceed.

Juan Maria Ojeda said: “I think she had good intentions. Next week she will meet with a repairer and explain what kind of materials she used.

“If we can’t fix it, we will probably cover the wall with a photo of the painting.”

The fresco is not thought to be very valuable, but has a high sentimental value for local people.

To make matters worse, the local centre that works to preserve artworks had just received a donation from the painter’s granddaughter which they had planned to use to restore the original fresco.

 

 

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Colombian writer and winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize for Literature, is suffering from dementiaGabriel Garcia Marquez is suffering from dementia Cindy Lee Garcia accused Nakoula Basseley Nakoula of duping her into Innocence of Muslims that she was led to believe was a desert adventure movieInnocence of Muslims: Cindy Lee Garcia sues Nakoula Basseley Nakoula over film Tiny probes, sent through drilled holes in Giorgio Vasari's The Battle of Marciano in the Palazzo Vecchio, found black pigment also used in the Mona LisaPossible Leonardo Da Vinci fresco found in the Palazzo Vecchio A source has confirmed to Us Weekly magazine that Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez are engagedHalle Berry and French actor Olivier Martinez are engaged Researchers have discovered that fossils from Northern Kenya show that a new species of human lived two million years agoHomo rudolfensis: new human species discovered among fossils from Northern Kenya Olivier Martinez was injured during a brutal fight with his fiancée Halle Berry's ex lover Gabriel AubryOlivier Martinez injured during brutal fight with Halle Berry’s ex lover Gabriel Aubry Valued at $150,000, the Cartel des Don Juan Tenorio, was taken from the Venus Over Manhattan art gallerySalvador Dali’s Cartel des Don Juan Tenorio stolen from Venus Over Manhattan art gallery Gabriel Aubry displays painful-looking and swollen black eye, along with cuts under his left eye and on his forehead and the bridge of his nose following brawl with Olivier MartinezGabriel Aubry displays injuries following brawl with Olivier Martinez
Tags: , ,

Short URL: http://www.bellenews.com/?p=22960

Posted by on Aug 22 2012. Filed under Arts & Culture, Front Page. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.

Liked this post? You'll love our newsletter.

Enter your email to receive our weekly list of top news.

NEWSFEED

Recommended

Hochzeitsmode

ADVERTISEMENT

Entertainment

ADVERTISEMENT