A sculpture in Palencia, Spain has gone viral after a botched restoration of the sculpture left it with some highly questionable features.
The statue's restoration effort, which was completed by an unknown party, left the once detailed face a complete mess, with head, eyes, nose, and mouth all turned inconceivably into a figure resembling a child's Play-Doh creation:
Who did this... Yet another amateur art restorer in Spain has absolutely demolished a once-beautiful artwork:… https://t.co/h1rwl522n4— Artnet (@Artnet) 1605111842.0
In addition, the angle of the face has been changed from sideways to straight on, but without any of the features matching.
The potato head of Palencia: defaced Spanish statue latest victim of botched restoration "Conservation professional… https://t.co/7Ji1CXvH2M— Mark Rees (@Mark Rees) 1605129032.0
The disfigurement was bought to light by a local artist who lives near the office building and was tipped off by a… https://t.co/2oFjIVL8td— Aritz Parra (@Aritz Parra) 1605113919.0
Spain, a country of botched art restoration, and I am OBSESSED.— Diana Nguyen (@Diana Nguyen) 1605147061.0
Me in January vs. me now https://t.co/11QUQZ3MKC https://t.co/AgSN0Dbqcr— Russell Brandom (@Russell Brandom) 1605122346.0
@RStewartJewelry @LibyaLiberty How it started How it's going https://t.co/Yss3Yli7UM— Blue Heron Farm (@Blue Heron Farm) 1605119317.0
The statue is the latest in a series of botched restorations from Spain, including several botched restorations of the Virgin Mary:
A Spanish parishioner gave a 15th century statue of the Virgin Mary, Jesus and Saint Peter kitschy colours in anoth… https://t.co/upsXTtQTEL— AFP News Agency (@AFP News Agency) 1536345840.0
The Virgin Mary joins “Monkey Christ” in the latest series of botched restoration paintings in Spain. https://t.co/4Ku5ATcLGQ— Twitter Moments (@Twitter Moments) 1592910109.0
And, of course, the infamous "Monkey Christ" from 2012:
It's a botch-up! Monkey Christ and the worst art repairs of all time "As another religious painting restoration goe… https://t.co/QdFG4UEJMk— Mark Rees (@Mark Rees) 1605129269.0
Botched art in Spain Restoration https://t.co/us8BRic52w— Dino Aviation (@Dino Aviation) 1605203087.0
Folks are at a loss for words for this latest botched restoration.
When someone says "how are you?" and you respond "doing well!" vs. how you're actually feeling https://t.co/xN2kS7wmoT— Blair Guild (@Blair Guild) 1605200354.0
spain????? AGAIN??????? https://t.co/w9bjxvTzRJ— rita (@rita) 1605195630.0
Spain needs to be stopped Spain makes headlines once again with another botched art restoration https://t.co/aHYs1cxMrg— ✨Professional Shit-Stirrer✨ (@✨Professional Shit-Stirrer✨) 1605204150.0
#Spain is doing that on purpose, because art = revenue for #Spain . This kept happening because #MonkeyJesus attrac… https://t.co/1HaxUoDLAW— Jefferson JC Baptiste (@Jefferson JC Baptiste) 1605204216.0
The vibes I get from Spain's latest botched restoration https://t.co/StpDLmUmwU— Fiery but mostly peaceful spicy pumpkin pie 🎃 (@Fiery but mostly peaceful spicy pumpkin pie 🎃) 1605200139.0
Experts are calling for increased regulations for efforts relating to restoring artwork, as Spain has been guilty of no less than five botched art restorations within the last decade.
"Can you imagine just anyone being allowed to operate on other people?" said Fernando Carrera, a professor at the Galician School for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, to the Guardian, following the "Monkey Christ" restoration.
"Or someone being allowed to sell medicine without a pharmacist's license? Or someone who's not an architect being allowed to put up a building?"
It appears Spain has yet to heed the calls from experts.