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Subscribe to RSSBy now, you've probably seen the pictures out of Spain of the 19 century painting of Jesus that was "restored" by a local grandmother after decades of damage and neglect. In the wake of her botched restoration, the picture has become a sensation, spawning some hilarious parodies around the Internet. NBC News' Duncan Golestani reports.
She became a viral Internet sensation last week, mocked for her botched restoration of a century-old fresco at her local church - but Cecila Giminez has still attracted a few fans.
Flowers are being left outside the elderly woman’s home in the village of Borja, north-eastern Spain, and the damaged painting has suddenly become a tourist attraction.
The 19th-century fresco, which used to depict Jesus until Giminez’s misguided intervention, is attracting so many tourists that it has now been roped off and is watched over by a security guard.
Tens of thousands of people have signed an online petition praising Giminez’s restoration as a “daring work” and even as “endearing and loving act, a clever reflection of the political and social situation of our time”.
The family of the painter, Elias Garcis Martinez, does not see it that way – especially as they had just agreed to make a donation to have the painting professionally restored.
I can paint that! Wait, no I can't! Amateur artist messes up century-old artwork
''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,'' the artist’s granddaughter Teresa Garcia told Spanish television.
Giminez, who is in her 80s, said she was trying to improve the artwork, which had become damaged by moisture, and insisted she had the permission of the priest.
Ha!
— Matt Davies (@matted1) August 23, 2012@frescojesus twitter.com/matted1/status…
A team of art restoration experts is reportedly examining the painting, will quiz Giminez on what materials she used in her attempt and will figure out how best to proceed.
In the meantime, the restoration has been mocked in a series of Internet parodies including a fake Twitter account.
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Leave a Comment:
The painting shows that man is decended from the apes, which is proven fact. These brainwashed bible thumpers really have issues when confronted with the truth...
The whole thing is just way too funny!!!!
You're funny. Talk about missing the point.
You won't be laughing when you're in HELL forever "appletoad".....
CDMCKY-4496465: Who appointed you god of the universe so that you judge a person is going to Hell forever?
Luke 6:37
New International Version "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven
Raquel-he's not funny, just an idiot.
It makes me think of the movie The Planet of the Apes. I wonder if at scenes in that movie some of the ape actors thought they were like the painting and that is what happened somehow. That people acted out to do something to the painting and make it like the movie. I liked it before and I hope they can fix it.
I'm just confused at why they gave it to some old woman to paint over anyway!!! It must have been truly in disarray to have just given it to someone to have fun with. Oh well...live and learn!
Kellydawn-they didn't give it to her -she took it upon herself to "fix" it and then when she was caught she suddenly came up with the thought that "the priest knew she was doing it". Anyone who knows the Catholic church knows that they prize their art and would never have let some old lady with no prior experience touch that painting.
Art is Art. Some of it is good some is bad. This is no less primitive art than is Grandma Moses efforts. Many people loved Grandma Moses and her paintings and many paid top prices for it. This woman's efforts may not be valued as highly, but it is her expression of what she saw in the original painting. Like it or dislike it, it is art.
It is art AND reality, considering that humans are decended from apes.
Come to think of it... this altered painting would make a nice poster for the next Planet of the Apes sequel. LOL Not all is lost. You gots to have imagination people!!! :)
Humans are decended from the apes..... don't understand what the problem is here.
How many boring paintings of jesus can a person tolerate? The restored version should be called "Grandfather of Jesus"
If apes evolved into humans, how are there still apes existing in the world?
Easily! Only a small number of apes evolved into humans. After all didn't everyone comes from just two people Adam and Eve? Ha!
Toad-if you don't like the paintings of Jesus, you don't have to look at them. That doesn't mean that other people want to see them destroyed, even if you are a non-believer.
watch American Idol-she probably thinks she can sing too.
"If you think a professional is expensive, hire an amateur!"
Restoring an artwork is expensive.
Repairing a botched restoration attempt? Even MORE expensive.
This is yet another example that proves this quote to be a basic truth.
Just take the donation from the tourists and have the painting professionally restored. Those that have never made a mistake, let him cast the first stone! The old lady meant well, and she did the best she could! She loves Jesus so much that she spent her own time and money(on the paint) trying to fix the painting.
The idolatry of the world has certainly turned the True Artwork of our Creator into a joke! The painting which is supposedly to be the artist rendition of Christ is nothing more than Idolatry... images made of things to hold a religious significance in the minds of people! This, along with cathedrals, crosses, altars, stained glass windows, scheduled "worship" services, and a myriad of other things our Father forbade men to "make unto themselves".... these things are those which point out the idolatry the Fathers children have in their spirits! It is ungodly trash... all of it, including this monkey of a restoration!
so what you are saying is that you approve of the restoration
No... what I'm saying is that the original is Idolatry, and so is the "restoration" It is all trash and should be thrown out on the trash heap with all the other idolatrous makings of men!
appletload,
He said that no images of God of any form is to be displayed and worthshiped. Tht is what idolatry means. However, most of us christians would have some form of God's image: it may be a cross that you wear on your neck, a cross at the front page of your bible, a picture of Jesus that you hung in your house, a picture of the las super, the list goes on and on.....
When we look at one of those things mentioned above, we as christians, pray the lord. It is mistake for Lakeside54321 to say that we worhship those images. He/she is an extremely uneducated person. I think he/she never graduated from high school. If he/she did, the school system just passed him/her on because they did not want to deal with an idiot!!
Again, when we look at those godly images, we bring God into our heart and pray! We worthship God and not the images.
Just ignor his/her stupid comments and go on. YOU CANNOT FIX STUPID!!!!! He/she was born that way and you can't fix it.
appletload,
You obviously do not believe in God. It is your choice. There is a 50/50 chance that God may or may not exist in your mind, but what do you have to lose in believing that He does exist? If he does not exist and when you die, you go back to ashes. However, if He does exist and when you die, you go straight to hell for a LONG, LONG time!
Also, people like you that do not believe in God, when you have a problem(family, job, finance, and/or politice.) and the people around you always disagree with you, where do you turn to? My guess is that you bit your head against the wall! God will always easy you mind in time of trouble.
Why don't you give the lord a shot. Again, what do you have to lose by believing - NOTHING. What do you have to lose by not believing - spending eternity in BURNING HELL! Your choice and good luck to you!
Cowboys1-You may as well save your breath (or your typing). "Toad" has made it abundantly clear that he doesn't believe, he thinks that those of us who do are idiots who have been fooled for centuries by the church, starting with Jesus (who he doesn't believe ever existed). You are not going to change his mind, and we both know where he will end up when all is said and done.
Like my Mom always says, nothing a little bleach and a good scrub can't fix.
Dragonride,
I like how your Mom thinks!
Hey, everyone...appletoad wants to let us know that we are descended from apes. Thanks, Captain Obvious...oh, wait, that would be your nickname if you actually were intelligent enough to realize the issue. Do you seriously think that an 80-year old Catholic woman was trying to make a statement about humans descending from apes? I see you're from Cali--lay off the hippie lettuce and figure out that what we are saying is that someone defaced a work of art. Should we go to the Sistine Chapel and paint out the faces of God and Adam to make them look like apes? You are a moron who doesn't get the point at all. But thanks for the laughs.
Thanks Raquel-that's what I've been trying to say about "Toad" all along. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks he's a moron.
the woman has talent! it looks pretty good.
That so-called "artist" should be damned to eternal Hell for the butchery of that painting;
I mean how stupid do you have to be to do that kind of ghastly work? I would think about
15 minutes into the "restoration" she would have had the sense to realize she was destroying
the painting - what an idiot she truly is.
This woman is no 'artist', amateur or otherwise.
stop throwing stones ,enough already
Because of her, professionals will now restore it, (her daughter donated the money to pay), and the Church has become a tourist attraction. So it's all good.
I thought only Americans made lemonade out of lemons! I hope this church takes advantage of the spotlight, something really good could come of this.
Romans 1:19-23 sums up my thoughts on the belief of evolution:
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Unfreakin believable. Some old lady takes an ancient painting of Jesus and alters it to make it look like a modern day Brotha, and suddenly it becomes all the rage. Who'da ever thunk it?
Lovepower, you're right. Jesus would have been more accepting of good intentions, even if the woman is crazed as well as talentless. Or maybe more so BECAUSE of that.
There are more important things to become agitated about.
Hell! If Davinci had painted that and named it "Medieval Blow Job Queen" or some crap it would be worth the better part of a billion$.
You are sick! Go see a doctor!!!
With her restoration, I am positive I can now see the image of the Virgin Mary!!
Just gaze into the area of the mouth and you will see!!
Having a few cocktails will help too.
This is not a "honest mistake", this lady ruined it period. This is just like those idiots that buy a new dlsr, call themselves professionals and then f**k up someones wedding photos. She should never of attempted to fix the painting.
LOL... Gotta love this thread. This is the most fun i've had on the internet since watching panda porn sex education videos.
Shut up, you fool!!!!!