Posted on 09/21/2012 6:44:36 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
(RNN) – The woman who disfigured the Ecce Homo Jesus Christ painting said she's really stressed out, and would like to be compensated for her work, please.
The early-20th century painting inside a Spanish church gained worldwide attention in August after the "restoration" by amateur artist (finger painter?) Cecilia Gimenez. The fresco, which used to feature the Christ crowned in thorns looking to the sky, has been referred to as Ecce Mono, or Behold the Monkey, since she "fixed it."
The "self-taught" woman who only wanted to "help" has hired lawyers to get money from the church for the "good job" she did. A thank you wouldn't hurt either.
No word yet on if she plans to drive a car through the wall of the church and charge for renovations.
According to the news site El Correo, Gimenez's lawyer claims the Sanctuary of Mercy had seen a rise in guests to see the freak show – err, work of art – and had gotten 2,000 Euros in four days. Her representative also pointed out she had to go into hiding after her orangutan in a tunic got popular.
The Santi Spiritus Hospital Foundation, which operates the church, has begun charging admission.
Meanwhile, others in the town of Borja also are trying to make Fresca out of fresco. El Correo reported the town hosted an Ecce Mono-themed painting competition, and businesses are doing what they can to make a few bucks on the influx of tourists.
The image and all variants have been trademarked as well, in order to prevent "improper or grotesque abuse." Because when you let someone with no experience go at an irreplaceable painting with their watercolors, you want to make sure no one reacts improperly.
Oh, and you're welcome.
The "self-taught" woman who only wanted to "help" has hired lawyers to get money from the church for the "good job" she did. A thank you wouldn't hurt either.
No word yet on if she plans to drive a car through the wall of the church and charge for renovations.
some people have no shame
Yes...pay her for her work. A long prison term.
At what point does the Church admit some fault on it’s part? This person was “self-taught”, and they let her loose on a piece of artwork that needed restoration. Would these same officials turn other pieces of work over to an 8th grade Art class?
If you go to a flea-market seeking medical attention, there is plenty of fault to place on the person who is practicing medicine without a licence - but there is also A LOT of fault to place at the feet of the fool who made this assinine decision.
Religious icon aside, she has some nerve asking to be paid for defacing a priceless work of art! I think 5 to 10 years prison time would give her time to think about her abilities( or lack thereof in the art field)!
The thing that gets me is that it seems like at no point did those who run this sanctuary actually say ‘ugh, are you kidding me?’ It was a donor who had her people check the status of the church who went ballistic.
As for the church charging admission to see her folly? Sure, go ahead, make a donation of 25% of her takings for a charity in her name, but only after the lawsuit is filed, motions are filed, etc, and present the settlement in court with the condition that everyone pays for their own lawyers.
Spending 25,000 euros to maybe collect a 5,000 euro donation to a charity is the height of stupidity, but in no way should the church end up paying even more for her awful work.
Did anyone from that church NOT bother to have a look at her “work” in progress???? And if not, why not? And if so, why was there not a loud and resounding “WTH ARE YOU DOING????”
The unconventional nature of the restored painting tells a story. The fringes of the painting are very faithful to the original, particularly in the cloth. However, the painting becomes looser, more expressionistic as we move to the center. This is reflective of how modern people have grown comfortable with the superficial window dressings of Christianity, yet tensions secretly boil at the core.
... By depicting Christ with simian features, the piece smolders with the passion and agony of contemporary man, struggling to reconcile religion and science. Are we the divine children of god or the discordant descendants of apes? The lingering power of this question has lead contemporary worshipers to redub the fresco “Ecce Mono” or “Behold The Monkey.”
Or it just stinks.
As far as keeping an eye onher progress, from the looks of it she may have only spent a couple hours ;)
Thank goodness pictures of the original exist, but you have to give her credit for getting press you couldn’t buy !
Of course, she wants to be paid. She used 3 whole cans of spray paint and part of another can.
pshhsshhjst!! I just blew coffee through my nose!
That’s funny rot thare - I dont’ care who ya are.
And - the most honest depiction of the worth of her “work”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.