KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — A sculpture in Spain is gaining attention for all the wrong reasons after its restoration process took an ugly turn, rather literally.
The sculpture which sits above an early 20th-century office building in Palencia used to feature the expression of a woman smiling.
But the smile on the original creation has since been wiped off and replaced with a bizarre-looking entity that sent social media into a frenzy.
Some have likened the new sculpture to a potato head while others couldn’t help but notice the uncanny resemblance to outgoing US president Donald Trump.
Sí, ha vuelto a ocurrir. #Palencia tiene ya su propio #eccehomo Sospecho que la restauradora igual era pro #Trump 🤦🏻♂️ y se ha dejado llevar por la emoción de estos días en las #EleccionesEEUU pic.twitter.com/sXS0H2AJxg
— Aitor Loizaga (@aitorloizaga) November 10, 2020
It has also been compared to pond life, plasticine and a sheep’s head next to a goat.
Latest art restoration in Spain looks like sloth from the Goonies 💀 pic.twitter.com/Zwk86xLGm5
— Nate French (@TheNateFrench) November 12, 2020
Fox News reported that the disfigurement of the statue was flagged out by a local artist who lives near the building after a florist on his street told him about it.
Antonio Capel took to Facebook with before and after images, saying the sculpture sits on one of Palencia’s most iconic buildings.
“The pictures are a bit blurry but you can see it looks like the head of a cartoon character,” Capel wrote.
Capel explained that the restoration was done at least 10 years ago but it is only starting to gain attention now, leading visitors to the site to snap photos of the artistic mishap.
Y’all... I can’t stop crying about this art restoration from Spain 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/EOhk3eVtuM
— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) November 13, 2020
Spain, a country of botched art restoration, and I am OBSESSED.
— Diana Nguyen (@diananguyen___) November 12, 2020
Not the first botched art restoration in the European country, Spain made headlines in June after baroque artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo’s Immaculate Conception painting was left unrecognisable.
The original is on the left. The two attempts at "restoring" it are on the right. Ouch.
— Mark Rees (@reviewwales) June 22, 2020
"Experts call for regulation after latest botched art restoration in Spain: Immaculate Conception painting by Murillo reportedly cleaned by furniture restorer."https://t.co/t3kAIZYnNS pic.twitter.com/m8Kabrt7Qu
And who can forget 2012’s Monkey Christ fresco fiasco.
Spanish painter Elías García Martínez’s Ecce Homo artwork which translates to Behold the Man which depicts Jesus with a crown of thorns, became a meme and was dubbed the Ecce Mono, meaning Behold the Monkey.
They call him “ecce mono” now instead of ecce homo because he looks like a monkey pic.twitter.com/jnGqXt2reu
— 🍌LuisKingKing🍌 (@LuisKingKING) November 12, 2020