Holy Bodgers! Hilarious Art Restorations in Spain

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo’s original work (left) and two attempts at restoring a copy of it.

Photograph: Cedida por Coleccionista/Europa Press 2020
Source: The Guardian

Another botched artwork restoration leaves Spain in stitches | Barry Duke

And now a little bit of light relief from the accounts of covidiot religiots helping to spread the Covid-19 virus and turn places of worship into major Covid-19 hotspots.

Another Spanish restorer has managed to create mirth amongst the increasingly irreligious Spanish.

Following the 'success' of the hilarious restoration by octogenarian Cecilia Gimenez, of the Ecce Homo fresco in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza, which turned Jesus into what looked like a monkey, an art collector employed a furniture restorer to restore his copy of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo’s, 1687 painting of the Virgin Mary, entitled The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerable. The result left Mary looking more like Jezebel. Mercifully, Murillo made a number of copies of this major work.

The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerable. (detail)
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1687 (after 'restoration')

The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerable.
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1687 (after 'restoration')

The art collector, who paid $1,200 to have his picture restored is now looking for a professional art restorer to try to undo the damage and restore his painting to its former glory as the work of a master painter.

According to María Borja, Vice-President of the Valencia chapter of the Professional Association of Conservative Restorers of Spain, only a handful of these botched 'restorations' come to public attention, notably via social media.

Amongst other equally hilarious botched restorations was the infamous 'restoration' of a statue of St. George, at the Church of St Michael in Estella, Navarre, for which the archdiocese of Pamplona arranged. The resulting damage has cost the Archdiocese $30,000 to have it fixed (a professional job would have cost $10-12,000). The archdiocese has also been fined $6,000 for allowing the damage in the first place.

Playmobile Saint George and the Dragon
Church of St Michael, Estella, Navarre.

At least, after centuries of these religious artworks inspiring wonder and devotion, some of them are now inspiring enjoyment of a less devotional kind at the expense of cheapskate owners who try to get restoration done on the cheap.

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