Imagine spending a huge chunk of money on the restoration of an expensive piece of art only to have it completely ruined. Well, unfortunately, a private art collector in Spain had the terrible experience of going through such an ordeal, reports BBC.
He was left dumbfounded after he paid more than Rs 1 lakh to have a painting by Baroque artist Bartolome Esteban Murillo restored and cleaned by a furniture restorer only to have it completely botched.
The Valencia-based collector spent money twice on the picture of the Immaculate Conception and now, the picture is unrecognisable.?
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Presently, there is no law in Spain which forbids people from restoring artwork; even if they are doing it without the necessary and required skills to do so. This is also not the first time such an incident has taken place.
In 2012, an elderly parishioner tried to restore a prized fresco of Jesus Christ at her local church but her paint job led to the painting being dubbed 'Monkey Christ'.?
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Another incident involved a 16th-Century statue of St George at a church which caught the public attention after a restoration job. Apparently, some compared the new look to a Playmobile figure.?
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All these incidents have brought in the conversation regarding laws surrounding restoring artwork and in a statement, the country's Professional Association of Restorers and Conservators (ACRE) dismissed the lack of legal protections and even referred to the latest incident as an act of 'vandalism'.
"This lack of regulation translates into an absence of protection of our heritage," said ACRE.
The organisation added, "In recent years, conservation-restoration professionals have been forced to emigrate or leave their professions due to a lack of opportunities".
ACRE also emphasised on the concern that the art industry in Spain is at a serious risk of disappearing.?