A botched statue in Spain is gaining global attention
A sculpture in Palencia, Spain, is gaining attention around the world after it was restored. The sculpture, which once had human-like features, now looks like a cartoon character. Some people are comparing it to other botched restoration jobs in the country.
The sculpture, which is part of the ornate facade of an office building, went viral after Antonio Capel posted an image of it on Facebook, according to the Associated Press. Capel is a local artist who lives near the building. He told the AP a local florist tipped him off to the botched restoration job.
After seeing the disfigured statue himself, Capel posted a side-by-side image of the original statue and what it looks like now.
El antes y el después, edificio calle mayor principal, 9, Palencia.
Posted by Antonio Capel Artista on Monday, November 9, 2020
One commenter dubbed it the "potato head of Palencia." "I lost my appetite after I saw this fugly humanoid," another said.
CBS News has reached out to Capel and Palencia's local government for comment.
The botched statue is reminding people around the world of a previous botched restoration. In 2012, an amateur art restorer in Borja, Spain, made headlines when she tried to fix a deteriorating fresco of Jesus Christ at a local church. Cecilia Jimenez, who was in her 80s, wasn't so successful in her restoration project.
Many felt Jimenez made Jesus look more like a monkey. The original fresco by famous Spanish artist Elias Garcia Martinez was called "Ecce Homo." Teresa Garcia, the painter's granddaughter, commented on Jimenez's botched job at the time. "Until now, she just painted on the tunic but the problem started when she painted the head as well, because she has destroyed this painting," Garcia said.
Jimenez insisted the priest of the church authorized her amateur paint job. "The priest knew! He did! How could we do something like that without permission? He knew," Jimenez said. "Everybody who came into the church could see me as I was painting. I didn't do anything secretly."
In another case two years ago, a Spanish parishioner tried to restore a set of 15th-century sculptures. The amateur restoration attempt resulted in the wooden statues of Jesus and Mary being painted bright green and pink, according to BBC News.