i saw this story in the post yesterday and it made me laugh so hard i think i read it 3 times. i guess the post peeps liked it too because they ran it again today.
An elderly parishioner’s attempt to touch up this cherished but deteriorating Spanish church fresco has turned Jesus into a cartoon figure.
The unidentified woman, in her 80s, was upset at the damage that moisture was wreaking on the 19th century fresco in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
Without authorization, the devoted woman scraped away some of the paint, leaving white marks on the wall.
Then she took out a paintbrush and replaced the strokes of artist Elias Garcia Martinez with her own, Spanish media reported.
When she realized how badly it had turned out, she contacted the city’s culture councilor, Juan Maria Ojeda.
“I think she had good intentions,” Ojeda was quoted as saying.
As it turns out, the woman’s efforts weren’t even necessary. An organization that restores Spanish artwork, El Centro de Estudios Borjanos, had just received a donation from Martinez’s granddaughter to repair the damage done by the moisture.
Ojeda said art experts are trying to determine whether the woman’s work can be undone.
“If we can’t fix it, we will probably cover the wall with a photo of the painting,” he said
[after the touch up]
“In art the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can inspire”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
hahaah this happened in a town near me – i mean, i live next to the town it happened to lol. it’s all over the media in spain, i laughed so hard when I saw it on the news. poor lady though she just tried to be nice hahaha…I wrote about it yesterday too, I knew it had gotten out internationally, it’s just SO funny!!
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did you go see it? if so, please send pix!!
😉
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hahah i wish i could, i havent been able to go because of work (it’s a two hour drive..) I only have newspaper clipping pictures and the one that’s been circuling the net. It’s so funny though, it’d be great to have that picture!
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Update! From the NY Post:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/woman_who_botched_restoration_fame_LQ0Q6gEli9YIcYzOVI8zjI
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aww my browser isnt loading the page! When it finally works and I see it I’ll check back here…hopefully with another “lol” haahah. Thanks for the update, im really curious to see what it is! We haven’t heard anything more about it around here haha
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Ack, it makes my heart wince! Poor old crazy lady.
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She decided to fix up a painting of the Son,
And just when she thought her work was done;
The Zoo called and told her she was very spunky,
And asked if she would come and paint another monkey.
She now paints Jesus and chimps for fun.
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ha, ha, ha – You’re getting very good at this, ellice!
🙂 🙂 🙂
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It could have been worse. She could have been a fan of Picasso.
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i think she is related.
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Art for Art sake….
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it’s been all over our media too here in far distant New Zealand. I wonder what the ‘old dear’ thought she was doing.
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i’m not sure but . . .
but wouldn’t it be fun to meet her & find out??
😉
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Oy vey… My own mother did something similar when she was quite young, she re-touched the artwork of one of the most famous ex-Yugoslav Dado Djuric… (i am just reading her your blog, she is laughing – i want to cry when i think of it… and no, ours can’t be restaurated… don’t ask ;))
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my best to you mom!!
😉
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Thanks for passing by.
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