Twitter: @AndreaGompf
Last week, I read The Guardian’s report on what press has dubbed “the worst restoration in history,” giggled to myself for a minute or two, and then promptly forgot about it. But little by little more details, Tumblr posts, tweets, and photos began to emerge, until the incident had snowballed into a full blown interwebs party.
Here’s the Reader’s Digest version: 81 year old Cecilia Gimenez, an amateur art restorer, took it upon herself to spruce up a 19th century painting of Jesus in Spain called Ecce Homo, but wound up making Jesus look like the cover of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and a hedgehog had a love child. In other words, not very Jesusy. The internet promptly responded, as Buzzfeed rounds up here. They didn’t even include my absolute favorite rendition, which someone did on THEIR ACTUAL FACE:
Even though her restoration is hilarious, I kind of feel bad for poor Doña Gimenez – this is a pretty rough introduction to the internet even for a lady as sassy as she is:
[insert-video youtube=E8FrHHscUlo]
She has reportedly experienced a nervous breakdown over all the drama. Not to worry Doña Gimenez, “Ironic Art Fans” are on your side. They’ve started a petition to save the new restoration on Change.org.