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Botched Fresco Restorer: Pay Up

Image has brought church $2.6K in donations

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff | Suggested by Fondue

Posted Sep 20, 2012 11:38 AM CDT | Updated Sep 23, 2012 12:03 PM CDT

(Newser) – Spain's botched restoration of a fresco of Jesus has developed quite a fan base—and it's brought in $2,600 in donations for the church that houses it. Now, the elderly woman who created the monstrosity wants to cash in, NPR reports: She's asking the church for a piece of that money, and she's got lawyers on her side. The church also has lawyers on the case, setting up a legal showdown over the monkey-werewolf-hedgehog.

The fresco of Christ before (left) and after (right) elderly amateur artist Celia Gimenez, 80, took it upon herself to restore it in the church of the northern Spanish agricultural town of Borja.
The fresco of Christ before (left) and after (right) elderly amateur artist Celia Gimenez, 80, took it upon herself to restore it in the church of the northern Spanish agricultural town of Borja.   (AP Photo/Centro de estudios Borjanos)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 33 comments
jagerhans
Sep 24, 2012 9:04 AM CDT
stand up for botched jeezus !  join the cause:   https://www.change.org/petitions/ayuntamiento-de-borja-zaragoza-mantenimiento-de-la-nueva-versi%C3%B3n-del-ecce-homo-de-borja   
MisterE
Sep 23, 2012 3:51 PM CDT
25% + unemployment in Spain?! Now I know why. They have the same lawyer mentality as US. As TD Jakes would say "Somebody slap her up the side of her head!"
LisaG.-45
Sep 23, 2012 3:43 PM CDT
This woman just ruined a precious piece of art.  She should be in jail by now. Whoever owns the painting should be  reimbursed by the woman who destroyed it. Don't give her another shot at it;  hire a reputable painter and cut your losses (there have to be many in Spain).  My 3yo could do a better representation of this master piece.

 
Spain • painting • fresco • art restoration • strange stuff

 
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