Botched painting restoration fuels calls for new rules to protect artworks
Conservationist claims politicians ‘don’t give a toss’ in wake of ‘Potato Madonna’ fiasco

Art lovers are calling for new rules governing restoration after a famous 17th century painting by Spanish artist Bartolome Esteban Murillo got an unwelcome makeover.
A private collector in Valencia reportedly paid €1,200 (£1,084) to a furniture restorer to clean a copy of The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables. But “the job did not go as planned and the face of the Virgin Mary was left unrecognisable despite two attempts to restore it to its original state”, says The Guardian.
The Daily Mail adds that the restorer’s first effort left “Mary’s face disfigured”, and a “subsequent attempt to correct it just made it worse”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The incident is the latest in a string of bungled restoration attempts, including the infamous “Monkey Christ” incident eight years ago, when a parishioner tried to refresh a painting of Christ on the wall of a church in the northeastern Spanish town of Borja.
The so-called “Potato Madonna” row has prompted calls from Spain’s Professional Association of Restorers and Conservators (Acre) to impose government regulation on restoration.
“We see this kind of thing time and time again and yet it keeps on happening,” former Acre president Fernando Carrera, a professor at the Galician School for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, told The Guardian.
“I don’t think this guy, or these people, should be referred to as restorers. Let’s be honest - they’re bodgers who botch things up. They destroy things.”
Carrera added that part of the problem with regulating art restoration is that some politicians “just don't give a toss about heritage”.
However, some commentators have suggested that the latest restoration disaster might have an upside. Monkey Christ “enlivened his town’s stream of tourist cash, which has in turn allowed Borja to better care for its seniors”, says The Cut.
“His appearance in Borja has arguably proved something of a blessing, so perhaps we should not judge the Potato Madonna on her appearance,” the site adds. “Like mother like son, we hope.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The state of Britain's Armed Forces
The Explainer Geopolitical unrest and the unreliability of the Trump administration have led to a frantic re-evaluation of the UK's military capabilities
By The Week UK
-
Anti-anxiety drug has a not-too-surprising effect on fish
Under the radar The fish act bolder and riskier
By Devika Rao, The Week US
-
Crossword: April 21, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff
-
The rising demand for nuclear bunkers
Under the Radar Fears of nuclear war have caused an increase in shelter sales, but experts are sceptical of their usefulness
By Abby Wilson
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK