The mockery gives way to worry. On June 19, a private art collector from Valence had the unpleasant surprise to see one of his paintings disfigured. He had paid a furniture restorer 1200 euros to clean a copy of the Immaculate Conception by the baroque artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.
Unfortunately, the work did not go as planned and the face of the Virgin Mary became unrecognizable despite two attempts to restore it to its original state. When asked by the collector for explanations, he replied that he had simply tried to " solve " the problem, as reported by Europa Press. Another specialist, this one trained for restoration, was hired to save and recover the painting.
On the left, the face of the Virgin Mary. Right, the first and second attempts to restore it to its original state. Twitter Capture @reviewwales
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If the catastrophic result can lead to laughter, it is not the first time that this kind of performance arrives. In the church of Borja, an Ecce Homo fresco has been renamed the "Christ monkey" after a "repair" launched by a zealous believer. A polychrome sixteenth-century statue of Saint George facing a dragon in northern Spain, repainted with colorful colors, is another example of sloppy restoration. This trend is not trivial and highlights a big problem of legislation in Spain.
Photos of the Ecce Homo by Elías García Martínez before its "restoration" and the result. FigaroLive Capture
Interviewed by Europa Press, María Borja, one of the vice-presidents of the Association of Spanish Conservators and Restorers (Acre), explains that these incidents are " much more frequent than one might think " . " We only discover them when people report them to the press or on social networks, but there are many situations where the work is undertaken by people who are not trained, " she regrets.
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The lack of regulation around art restorers is a big problem for Fernando Carrera, professor at the Galician School for the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage and former president of Acre. In Guardian columns , he states that the law allows anyone to engage in restoration projects even if they lack the necessary skills. “ Can you imagine that anyone can operate on other people, he wonders. Or is someone authorized to sell drugs without a pharmacist license? Or that someone who is not an architect be authorized to construct a building? "
According to him, Spain has an important cultural and historical heritage. But this legacy is ignored by politicians in the country and therefore the funds required to safeguard and restore these movable and immovable property are insufficient. " We must draw society's attention to this point so that it can choose representatives who put heritage on the agenda, " said Fernando Carrera. " It doesn't have to be at the top, because it's obviously not like health or jobs - there are many other more important things. But that's our story . " Pending a lasting solution, Spain will have to face this legal gap once again.