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The task of conservators is to restore dilapidated and damaged works of art. This work is creative, but not at all simple: a wrong movement and the masterpiece is ruined, so punctures are inevitable.
website collected sensational cases when restoration did not go as planned.
1. Damaged fresco
The most notorious case of unsuccessful restoration occurred in Spain. Cecilia Jimenez, 80, volunteered to restore a peeling fresco of Jesus in the local cathedral. But for some reason it turned out completely different from the original; apparently, the elderly woman’s eyesight had failed her.
One can argue endlessly whether Cecilia did evil or good. On the one hand, the fresco was damaged. On the other hand, the cathedral became famous throughout the world, and Cecilia is called the new Goya.
2. The heroes of the fresco who lost their eyes
The restoration of the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel was the largest restoration work of the 20th century. But many art critics believe that it was unsuccessful.
When the craftsmen cleared the vaults of soot, they touched the top layer of the frescoes with amendments by Michelangelo himself. As a result, some heroes even lost their eyes.
3. Berlusconi's fantasy
In 2010, statues of Mars and Venus dating back to 175 AD were installed at the entrance to the residence of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The figures were found with body parts already broken off.
Berlusconi ordered the restoration of the statues. It looked good, but art critics did not appreciate the Prime Minister’s impulse. It is believed that remaking ancient monuments in your own way is akin to vandalism, because we do not know what the figures originally looked like. Now Mars and Venus have been restored to their original appearance.
4. Lightened picture
Leonardo da Vinci's work “Saint Anne with the Madonna and Child Christ” began to look much lighter after restoration. If previously cloudy dark shades predominated, now the picture looks very bright, as if the action is taking place on a sunny day. According to experts, this contradicts da Vinci's plan.
Some of the Louvre committee specialists even left their posts in protest against such a restoration. But is the work of restorers so bad?
5. Unrecognizable Lenin
In the Krasnodar region, Russia, after restoration, a monument to Lenin acquired a disproportionately long arm and someone else's face.
It turns out that the monument had this appearance for a long time, but photographs of it came to the attention of the general public only in 2016. The story of the monument even appeared on central television. After this, the leader of the world proletariat was brought into proper form.
6. The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is the largest architectural monument on earth, and, unfortunately, it is also gradually being destroyed.
Several years ago, restorers unsuccessfully reconstructed one of the most beautiful sections of the wall, 780 meters long, by simply covering it with a layer of concrete.
Now an investigation is being carried out against unscrupulous restorers, and the remaining parts of the wall are being restored more carefully.
7. Matrera Castle
The reconstruction of the ancient Matrera fortress in Spain turned out to be very controversial: the tower began to look too modern. It turned out that the reconstructor Carlos Quevedo Rojas wanted to make it clear which parts of the fortress were new and which were ancient.
8. Tutankhamun's beard
Fluffy Jesus
An 80-year-old Spanish pensioner restored the fresco "Ecce Homo" ("Here is the man"), painted by artist Elias García Martínez. We see photographs of the fresco depicting Jesus Christ before and after restoration. In the updated version of the work, Christ is unrecognizable - the fresco began to resemble a child’s drawing, depicting either a monkey or a fluffy potato with eyes.
After the news was published, a real scandal broke out in the Spanish and world media. Some attacked the old woman with severe criticism, while others came to the defense of the elderly Spaniard, proclaiming her the new Munch and Modigliani rolled into one. Be that as it may, the image of Jesus Christ created by Jimenez seems to have already occupied its niche in modern art.
Cecilia Jimenez told reporters that she began working on the restoration of the "Ecce Homo" fresco located on a church column several years ago. According to a parishioner of the church, she was upset by the condition of the work, which was deteriorating due to the humidity in the premises of the religious building.
The pensioner, as she herself claims, turned to the priest, and he allegedly agreed for her to carry out restoration work. “Of course, everyone knew about what I was doing. When people came to church, they saw that I was drawing. The rector knew. How could I do such things without permission?” Jimenez was quoted by the media. At the same time, representatives of the church claim that they knew nothing about the artistic work of their elderly parishioner.
One way or another, the restoration, which began in 2010, was completed in the summer of 2012. The results of Cecilia Jimenez's work were revealed a couple of weeks ago, when specialists arrived at the church to assess the condition of the fresco depicting Christ in order to draw up a plan for restoration work. The restoration was supposed to be done at the expense of the granddaughter of the author of the fresco, Teresa Martinez - it was she who allocated the money and sent it to the church.
Arriving in Borja, experts discovered instead of a fresco something completely different - a primitive image of a certain creature with a fur-covered head (optionally, dressed in a woolen bonnet), sadly turned to the side. Staring down from the fresco was, as BBC News wrote, "a pencil sketch of a very hairy monkey in a baggy tunic." Only this very dimensionless tunic reminded of the original appearance of “Ecce Homo” - both before and after the restoration it was beetroot color (by the way, as Teresa Martinez noted, Cecily Jimenez’s tunic turned out not as bad as everything else). The church in Borja promised that the furry Jesus will disappear - the fresco is planned to be restored again, this time by professionals.
After the news spread in the English-language press about the most unsuccessful restoration in the history of art, a campaign was launched on the Internet to preserve the furry Jesus (bloggers have already managed to give Jimenez’s work a new name - “Ecce Mono”, which they translated as “Behold the monkey”). Of course, the creation of an elderly Spanish woman in just a few hours became one of the most popular Internet memes.
Appeared on change.org petition in defense of the restored Jesus. The author of the updated version of the ancient fresco is compared to Goya, Munch and Modigliani, and the work itself is seen as a criticism of the “creationist theories” of the Church. At the time of writing this text, more than ten thousand people spoke in favor of preserving "Ecce Mono". Perhaps they are all right in their desire to recognize furry Jesus as a work of art in its own right.
Goya is not Goya, but the fresco by Cecilia Jimenez can be called an interesting example of primitivist painting (if we abstract from the existence of the original version). Primitivism as a pictorial style arose around the time when García Martínez, following academic traditions, painted the walls of a small church in Borja; now the works of the largest primitivists, for example Niko Pirosmani and Henri Rousseau, hang in museums and cost a lot of money. There is nothing to say about the avant-garde artists who experimented with this style and turned to it, unlike the Spanish grandmother, absolutely consciously.
In this story, Cecilia Jimenez showed herself, of course, not as Pirosmani, but definitely as a grandiose popularizer who gave the world knowledge. “The most terrible restoration” turned into a real triumph for the artist Elias García Martinez, whom no one in the world knew until that moment. He was born in the municipality of Requena in 1858, began drawing there, then studied painting at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of St. Carlos, then went to Barcelona and then to Zaragoza. He got married there, taught, painted, died - in a word, nothing impressive. The most interesting page in the artist’s biography was the creation of a fresco with the image of Jesus, who turned into a monkey in the 21st century.
The fact that the updated fresco will be beneficial has probably already been understood in the church itself, which has been welcoming curious tourists in recent days. And they can be understood - there are a lot of canonical images of Christ, but in the hood there is only one.
In his article, The Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones rightly notices that the devout pensioner could make a career in comedy. Her actions can only be compared with restoration of the portrait James Whistler's mother produced the famous Mr. Bean, who literally sneezed on a painting and then tidied it up in horror. You also need to have the gift of comic destruction, and by using it wisely, you can now build an entire strategy for popularizing art.
80-year-old amateur artist Cecilia Giménez had nothing but good intentions when she turned her attention to the deteriorating fresco of Jesus Christ on the wall of the Cathedral of Mercy in the small Spanish town of Borja.
The mural, entitled "Ecce Homo" (meaning "Here is the man"), was created by Spanish artist Elías García Martínez in 1930. Although the work was generally considered by the press to have "little artistic value" because "Martinez is not a great artist and his painting Ecce Homo is not a 'masterpiece,'" the fresco nevertheless acquired some sentimental value among the local population.
So, when the original paint on the fresco began to peel, Cecilia Jimenez, who had no special training, took on the task of restoring the aging artwork.
The damaged fresco "Ecce Homo" on the left and its "restored" version on the right.
Jimenez touched up the painting stroke by stroke for several years with the knowledge of the parish priest and church guards, until one day in the summer of 2012 she decided that the fresco needed a major restoration. In the middle of the "restoration process", Jimenez went on vacation because the work took much longer than she expected. The woman intended to complete it upon her return, but, for better or worse, she never got the chance again.
By the time she returned from vacation, the general public had learned of her failed efforts, and Jimenez had become a worldwide laughing stock. The failed restoration became a major topic on the Internet, spawning many memes and jokes on the World Wide Web. Journalists compared the restoration to how the famous character Mr. Bean, played by Rowan Atkinson, ruined the painting “Whistler’s Mother”. Some compared the painting to a blurry image of a potato and a monkey. Others called her "Furry Jesus" and "Ecce Mono" ("Behold the Monkey").
Jimenez felt so humiliated that she cried for days and refused to eat, according to her family. As a result, the woman had to seek help from a psychiatrist and take medication. At some point, the heirs of Garcia Martinez threatened to sue Cecilia Jimenez for damaging the painting, but, fortunately for her, they did not follow through.
The original intact painting (left), the damaged painting (middle), and Cecilia Jimenez's restoration (right).
Nowadays, in a strange twist of fate, the small, little-known town of Borja has suddenly appeared on the international tourist route. Every year, tens of thousands of curious visitors with a strange sense of humor come from far corners of the world to witness the tragic fiasco for themselves and go home with various souvenirs such as mugs and T-shirts featuring the "new and improved" Ecce Homo mural.
Cecilia Jimenez, whose failed attempt to restore a church painting once drew mockery and ridicule, is now a local celebrity. She presents prizes in a competition for young artists who paint their own versions of "Ecce Homo." People recognize her on the street and shout: "It's Cecilia! It's Cecilia!" It even has 49% of the revenue from the sale of souvenirs. The rest goes to the family of the artist Martinez.
Cecilia Jimenez may not have been able to restore the painting, but she managed to revive the destiny of her city. The influx of tourists has helped stabilize Borja's economy, reeling from the economic downturn that has plagued the rest of Spain over the past few years.
"For me it's a story of faith," said Andrew Flack, the opera librettist who wrote a comic opera about how one woman defaced a fresco and saved the city. "It's a miracle how she was able to help tourism flourish!"
“Why do people come to look at the fresco if it is such a work of art?” he asks. “This is a kind of pilgrimage, transformed by the media into a phenomenon. The ways of God are mysterious. Your catastrophe may turn into a miracle for me.”
Mr. Bean's "Restored" painting by James McNeill Whistler "Arrangement in Gray and Black: The Artist's Mother" from the film "Mr. Bean", 1997
Assortment of souvenirs "Ecce Homo".
A collection of Internet memes about the failed restoration of the "Ecce Homo" fresco.
Tourists line up to look at the church painting "Ecce Homo" on the altar at the Shrine of Mercy in Borja, Spain.
People build houses and paint pictures, create household items and art. By coming into contact with such objects every day, we unconsciously “influence” them, leading to wear and destruction. Houses become cracked like the paint on a painting, clothes wear out, and books become scuffed. That is why, along with the art of creation, the art of restoration appeared - restoration. Anything that loses its aesthetic appearance at a certain stage of time needs restoration. This is a responsible and labor-intensive process that requires the practical skills of an artist, and therefore history knows not only high-quality examples of restorations, but also very depressing ones. About such unsuccessful examples of restoration of works of art in this article.
Brighter, higher, stronger!
French art experts started a real scandal, accusing the Louvre of a terrible restoration. It is worth noting that we are talking about a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. This is not an ordinary portrait of a noble person, but a work painted with the brush of the greatest master of painting. The essence of the accusations boils down to the excessive brightness that the canvas acquired after restoration work. This degree of brightness, according to experts, does not correspond to the author’s original idea. The Louvre notes that this was the most discussed restoration of all that was planned, and the committee approached the work with particular care. But these are all colorful words, but in fact, two representatives of the museum left the committee in protest against the inappropriate restoration. These are Ségolène Bergeon Langle, who was responsible for the work of restorers in all the national museums of France, and Jean-Pierre Cusant, the former curator of paintings at the Louvre. In their opinion, during the restoration work, important analyzes were not carried out that would determine the harmful effects of a potent solvent. Langal and Cusan generally considered the use of solvent unacceptable, but British masters stated that the materials would not spoil Leonardo’s unique pictorial effect, called sfumato. The committee ultimately assessed the work of the restorers as acceptable, but independent experts agree that lightening the surface significantly spoiled the painting. Perhaps the British restorers added brightness so that we could see the masterpiece as it originally looked in da Vinci’s workshop, because some paint pigments darken over time and lose their richness.
Sad pictures
Restoration of historical heritage is always of great importance in every state. These could be castles, buildings, paintings or frescoes. In our case, the object of work was a centuries-old fresco of the Qing Dynasty, located in the temple on Phoenix Mountain. The drawings that adorned the walls were in a deplorable state, the outlines of the figures had lost clarity, and the paint, worn out by time, had noticeably peeled off. The enterprising rector of the temple himself organized a collection of donations for restoration; this required 660 thousand dollars. During the restoration work, many violations were committed, and the saddest thing is that the artist practically painted new characters that do not repeat the plot of the original painting. Restoration categorically does not allow the creation of a new image on top of the old one, but only touches up the necessary fragments. Visitors to the temple note that the beautiful fresco has been hopelessly damaged and looks like a cheap decoration. Two officials responsible for carrying out such work were fired, but the customer noted that he was satisfied with the result. Unfortunately, it is obvious that the use of simple colors and the artist’s style showed the world cartoon scenes in the halls of an ancient Chinese temple.
Fluffy Jesus
Sometimes unsuccessful restorations can become the object of more than just disappointment and criticism. This happened with the fresco depicting the image of Christ in the Temple of Mercy. The temple is located in the provincial town of Bohra, the author of the fresco is Elias Garcia Martinez. A parishioner of the temple decided that the work needed restoration work and decided to personally do it. In 2010, 80-year-old pensioner Cecilia Jimenez began personal restoration; according to her, the rector of the temple allowed her to do this, but this information was not officially confirmed. The process was completed in the summer of 2012, and Cecilia’s work literally blew up the Internet when the pictures went online. The finished work resembled more of a hairy monkey or, upon closer inspection, a Jesus in a fur hat. Experts were outraged, summing up that this was the worst restoration work in history. Perhaps this is so, but Cecilia Jimenez, in addition to her ill-wishers, had defenders who pointed out the old age of the pensioner, and the uproar was a consequence of her kindness and desire to help the temple. And the help was really significant. The unsuccessful restoration attracted a huge number of tourists, and the temple collected charitable donations amounting to over 50 thousand euros.
wet business
Innovative artists surprise the public not with paintings that are familiar to the eye, but with installations and art objects that are assembled from all available materials. Contemporary art goes so far beyond understanding that sometimes very funny things happen to it. One of these occurred in the Dortmund gallery with the participation of a conscientious cleaning lady. The woman who kept order ruined the work of art, thinking it was just a wet spot. The piece was called “When the Ceiling Started to Dribble” by sculptor Martin Kipenberger. The art object was a rubber trough, inside of which there was a wooden tower made of boards. The lime mortar at the bottom of the container imitated rainwater and was an integral part of the composition. The hardworking cleaning lady, however, made her own adjustments and carefully wiped up the puddle. The sculpture is valued at 800 thousand euros and was rented by the gallery from a private collector. Gallery workers claim that the job cannot be restored, and the unfortunate cleaning lady, whose details have not been disclosed, was reprimanded.
On August 21, a small article appeared in the Spanish edition of Heraldo, which talked about how badly a resident of the small town of Borja, an 80-year-old pensioner, restored the fresco "Ecce Homo" ("Here is the man"), painted by the artist Elias García Martínez. The publication included photographs of the fresco depicting Jesus Christ before and after restoration. In the updated version of the work, Christ was unrecognizable - the fresco began to resemble a child’s drawing, depicting either a monkey or a fluffy potato with eyes.
After the publication in Heraldo, a real scandal erupted around the act of Cecilia Jimenez, who decided to restore the fresco, which, according to various sources, dates back to the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Some attacked the old woman with severe criticism, while others came to the defense of the elderly Spaniard, proclaiming her the new Munch and Modigliani rolled into one. Be that as it may, the image of Jesus Christ created by Jimenez seems to have already occupied its niche in modern art.
Cecilia Jimenez told reporters that she began working on the restoration of the "Ecce Homo" fresco located on a church column several years ago. According to a parishioner of the church, she was upset by the condition of the work, which was deteriorating due to the humidity in the premises of the religious building.
The pensioner, as she herself claims, turned to the priest, and he allegedly agreed for her to carry out restoration work. “Of course, everyone knew about what I was doing. When people came to church, they saw that I was drawing. The rector knew. How could I do such things without permission?” Jimenez was quoted by the media. At the same time, representatives of the church claim that they knew nothing about the artistic work of their elderly parishioner.
One way or another, the restoration, which began in 2010, was completed in the summer of 2012. The results of Cecilia Jimenez's work were revealed a couple of weeks ago, when specialists arrived at the church to assess the condition of the fresco depicting Christ in order to draw up a plan for restoration work. The restoration was supposed to be done at the expense of the granddaughter of the author of the fresco, Teresa Martinez - it was she who allocated the money and sent it to the church.
Arriving in Borja, experts discovered instead of a fresco something completely different - a primitive image of a certain creature with a fur-covered head (optionally, dressed in a woolen bonnet), sadly turned to the side. Staring down from the fresco was, as BBC News wrote, "a pencil sketch of a very hairy monkey in a baggy tunic." Only this very dimensionless tunic reminded of the original appearance of “Ecce Homo” - both before and after the restoration it was beetroot color (by the way, as Teresa Martinez noted, Cecily Jimenez’s tunic turned out not as bad as everything else). The church in Borja promised that the furry Jesus will disappear - the fresco is planned to be restored again, this time by professionals.
After the news spread in the English-language press about the most unsuccessful restoration in the history of art, a campaign was launched on the Internet to preserve the furry Jesus (bloggers have already managed to give Jimenez’s work a new name - “Ecce Mono”, which they translated as “Behold the monkey”). Of course, the creation of an elderly Spanish woman in just a few hours became one of the most popular Internet memes - “photophotos” of a furry Jesus can be found.
