Not all in Portugal is fun and games... we
have bad things too, like any other country, sometimes even worse... and
others things that have no explanation at all... but that will be a
issue for a special post in a future time. A few weeks ago the world as
completely in shock with the "work of art" that the 80-year old Cecilia
Giménez made on her local church... she tried to "recovered" a painting
of Jesus Christ dating from the nineteenth century, the famous "Ecce
Homo" in what was considered the "worst
restoration of sacred art of all time." Destroying, who knows for ever, a
special piece of art! Today was surprising to see that Cecilia is not
alone in her restoration saga, and maybe call her "thing" the worse
restoration can be some what subjective... in the Portuguese newspaper
"Expresso" they show a far worse (in my humble opinion) restoration is
not just a small painting in the wall, is an entire mural!!!
Representing six episodes from the life of St. Clare of Louredo,
completely destroyed!
In the mid 80s, Father António Moreira decided
to improve the look of the church interior. "I called an old man who
said he was a painter and he was here at the Retirement Home," says the
priest now, him already close to 80 years old. "I commissioned him to
retouch the walls. Wanted to improve that, and I did. I don't understand
nothing about heritage," explains the priest.
Is the Church of Santa Clara, in Boavista district of Beja, Portugal...
See the image bellow the before and after...
Is the Church of Santa Clara, in Boavista district of Beja, Portugal...
See the image bellow the before and after...