10 unsuccessful restorations that have become a real laughing stock on social media

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Recently, the world watched in horror as the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris in Paris was engulfed in flames that caused enormous damage to the centuries-old building. The cathedral contained many artistic treasures and artifacts, some of which were severely damaged by fire. Restoration will be required. and we can only hope that these works of art will fall into the hands of real professionals, and not would-be restorers who had a hand in the artifacts that will be discussed in this review.

1. Fluffy Jesus

"Fluffy Jesus" is perhaps the most famous failed art restoration attempt that has managed to "bring about" worldwide disgrace on social media. In 2012, the famous fresco of the Spanish painter Elias García Martinez "Ecce Homo" in the Church of Mercy in the Spanish city of Borja was already worn out (it was made in 1930), so parishioner Cecilia Jimenez in a small village church decided to touch up a little the work of art. The result of her work shocked not only the church, but the whole world.

Although the original work of art was virtually unrecognizable, the reconstruction, dubbed "Fluffy Jesus" (Latin Ecce Mono - "Behold the monkey"), went viral on social networks. Christ's crown of thorns looked more like a woolen hat, and the facial features did not at all resemble Martinez's original work. The original mural was nearly destroyed, but oddly enough, Jimenez actually did his city a huge favor. Her failed attempt to restore an 80-year-old fresco became so famous that it is now Borja's main tourist attraction. Spoiled work attracts many more visitors to the small Spanish town than before.

2. Madonna and child

The attempt to renew the 15th and 16th century wooden carvings in a church in the Spanish city of Ranyadiro was called a "disaster" by art experts. Although the statues were professionally restored 15 years ago, a well-meaning local parishioner tried to paint the dull wooden carvings to brighten them up. After persuading the priest to let her take the relics home for a while, she painstakingly painted two carvings "The Virgin and Child" and "St. Peter" for over a year to give them a "more modern look." The end result shown in 2018 has been compared to "toys for children."

In one composition, the carved figure of Mary resembled a Barbie doll. In another dress, the Mother of God became bright pink, and the Christ baby was in gloomy green clothes. Although the artist claimed that she “painted as well as she could,” art critics were furious. Officials asked why an inexperienced restorer was allowed to remake artifacts from the church. It is still unclear whether it will be possible to save the carvings, which have great historical and artistic value.

3. Statue of Saint George

The 500-year-old wooden carved statue of Saint George the Victorious on horseback has been installed for many years in a niche at the back of a church in the Spanish city of Estella. The carvings were in good condition, albeit a little grubby, when the priest of the Church of San Miguel de Estella enlisted the help of a local art teacher to restore the relic in 2018. A local workshop was used to clean the statue.

During the process, the historical relic was also repainted. It would seem that there is such a thing. But the vibrant new color has led to the 16th century woodcarving becoming more Disney cartoonish, prompting a number of questions about amateur restoration of historical treasures. There are now concerns that the original paint could be lost forever under layers of modern plaster and paint.

4. Sculpture of Buddha

Restoration work on a historic Buddha statue in China's Sichuan province has been the subject of ridicule when photographs of the final result were posted on social media more than 20 years after completion. A Buddhist shrine dating back to the Song Dynasty (960–1279) was carved into the side of a mountain near the town of Anyue. It is not only a sacred place for local residents, but also a place of great historical and cultural significance.

In 1995, local residents tried to "restore" ancient artifacts. They were well-motivated and believed that they were protecting and caring for the relics by “restoring” them. But many years later, a cultural relic enthusiast who decided to visit the sacred grottoes of the region saw this disastrous restoration. Photos posted to his social media account in 2018 were heavily criticized.

The artifacts have been transformed into caricature-like statues. Ancient stone relics were brightly colored, and some commentators have compared the Buddha's halo to "a giant lollipop."

5. Roman mosaics in Turkey

It seems that even archaeological experts are not immune to questions related to their restoration of priceless world treasures. The Turkish Museum was criticized in 2015 for the restoration work carried out by its specialists on a series of Roman mosaics. Inappropriate tiles and inaccurate colors are said to have changed the appearance of the famous second-century murals beyond recognition.

The photographs clearly show significant differences in some of the mosaics after restoration work. Artists argued that the mosaics were "caricatures of previous works" and that valuable works of art were destroyed. The Turkish Minister of Culture has suspended restoration work at the museum pending the results of the investigation.

6. Tutankhamun's beard

The burial mask of Tutankhamun is one of the largest tourist attractions in Cairo. However, due to unsuccessful attempts to restore the 3,000-year-old artifact in 2016, the museum staff were charged with criminal charges. Last year, the blue beard on the mask came off for unknown reasons, and several attempts were made to fix it, which only damaged the artifact.

During the renovation work, a large amount of unsuitable glue was used, and subsequently, in attempts to scrape off excess glue, sharp objects were used, scratching the mask. A team of German experts was called in to repair the damage by restoring Tutankhamun's beard before the mask is returned to the public.

7. Chinese murals in Chaoyang

After the "restoration" in 2013, the Chinese murals began to look more like cartoon frames. These Qing dynasty frescoes are believed to be around 300 years old. The cost of the meticulous restoration of the original frescoes was beyond the budget of the small temple, so a local company was called in to do the renovation cheaper.

The 300-year-old frescoes were simply painted over with new, vibrant characters from Taoist mythology, and the new paintings did not bear any resemblance to the original frescoes. The cartoons-like results sparked anger on the Internet over the destruction of these ancient treasures when images began to surface on social media.

8. Castillo de Matrera

The forces of nature slowly destroyed the Castillo de Matrera fortress in southern Spain to a vegetated ruin. This castle has a rich history dating back to the ninth century and was declared a cultural site in 1985 by the Spanish government.

In 2016, locals in Cadiz were overwhelmed by the results after the owners of the castle hired architects and builders to restore it. The combination of old brickwork with modern materials led to the fact that the locals declared that the ancient castle was destroyed.

9. Ojakli Castle

The ancient castle in Turkey began to be compared to a popular cartoon character when it was reopened after restoration work. It is believed that the jakli castle in Shila has dominated the Black Sea since Byzantine times. After hundreds of years of neglect, the local authorities decided to begin work to preserve the remains of the castle. As a result, restoration work took several years. The masonry, windows and battlements were restored, and the entire structure was stabilized. However, the renovated castle was mercilessly ridiculed on social media in 2015. Many commentators noted that the placement of the windows unfortunately made the castle look like a SpongeBob image.

10. Statue of St. Anthony of Padua

In 2018, parishioners of a Colombian church were outraged when, after a "budget" restoration, a statue of their patron saint began to look like it had been made up. Unfortunately, the 17th century wooden statue of St. Anthony of Padua in Soledad was in need of renovation. The paint on the statue had completely faded, and termites began to eat away at parts of the tree. Therefore, the artist was commissioned to repaint the statue for a modest fee of only $ 328.

After the work ended, angry parishioners took to social media to show before and after photos of their patron. The locals were outraged that Saint Anthony began to look "effeminate" and "using cosmetics." Restoration experts believe that the conditions necessary for painting a wooden sculpture were simply not met.