Many people have heard of the Ecce Homo (See the Man) in a church in Borja, although they probably know it under the name Potato Jesus. The work came to prominence after Cecilia Giménez, an inexperienced amateur, "restored" an image of Christ and as a result we got a bird's nest-with-a-face in return. But Potato Jesus isn't the only gem to emerge from Spanish restorations in recent years.
New coat of paint
Take a look at the statue of Saint George that has been in a church in Estella, Spain for five hundred years. Last summer, this statue was not cleaned as requested, but was given a completely new coat of paint. This time, too, the work was entrusted to an amateur, who hid all the nuances of the sixteenth-century work under a confused image of the dragon slayer.
Some extra color
But whoever thinks it ends there is wrong: last month a Spanish restoration made the news again, because of the bizarre and again hilarious outcome. Residents of the village of Rañadoiro were asked to help restore some fifteenth-century statues, and were apparently given a lot of freedom. One of the residents thought that her wooden statue needed a little color and filled it in at her own discretion. The result is a brightly colored image that is far removed from the original artwork. For now, either hope for an increase in restoration experts in Spain or wait for the next meme-worthy restoration to pop up.