Elderly woman 'ruins' 19th century fresco

"The last photo taken of the artwork before any damage was done, in 2010, showed Martinez’s intricate brush strokes around the face of Jesus.  A photo taken in July by center officials for a catalog of regional religious art showed the painting splattered by white marks, possibly the work of the woman trying to remove paint.  The final photo, taken this month after Martinez’s relative donated the work, showed broad and thick layers of paint now covering important details in the work, such as the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head."
              ABC news.

 


I personally like the changes this woman has made. I feel it shows how religion is. When this woman was painting it, I imagine she'd have been feeling a connection to the man she was painting. The man she's most likely all her life thanked and been eternally grateful for 'him sacrificing himself four our sins'. As much as I think it's a load of bollocks, I admire this elderly woman for lovingly trying to fix something she held dear. She has balls. If this was 600 years ago, this woman probably would have been killed for doing what she has. I love when true passion simply isn't good enough for elitist religious art critics. The people bitching about it simply cannot accept having their beloved deity portrayed in any other way than the approved manner, enforced for centuries. Jesus would not have been white. Certainly not as white as he is depicted in the majority of paintings I've seen.


"It’s one thing to stage a do-it-yourself renovation on a table, mirror or painting found deep in the weeds of a yard sale.
It’s quite another to attempt a repair job on a one-of-a-kind 19^th century fresco by the Spanish painter Elias Garcia Martinez with a few broad brushstrokes."

But would you have the balls and confidence to attempt such a thing? I don't think many would.