Spanish church mural ruined by well-intentioned restorer
22 August 2012
Ecce Homo painting by Elías García Martínez was unremarkable until transformation 1_________ well-intentioned but cack-handed amateur
Ecce Homo painting by Elías García Martínez was unremarkable until transformation 1_________ well-intentioned but cack-handed amateur
There can be little doubt that the woman, identified only as an octogenarian local, was just trying to help when she noticed that the face of the scourged Christ on the wall of a small church in the city was looking a bit faded, and decided to freshen it 4__________ a bit.
Sadly for her – and Elías García Martínez, the 19th-century artist who painted the mural – her brush skills were not quite up to the 5______________.
The unnamed amateur has transformed what was once a pleasant, if unremarkable, Ecce Homo into something that more closely 6__________ a bloated hedgehog than the image of Jesus before Pilate.
The press have 7___________ her efforts "the worst restoration in history", "beast Jesus", "a botched job", and "a crayon sketch of a very hairy monkey in an ill-fitting tunic" and the Borja authorities fear they are right.
According to the local paper, El Heraldo de Aragón, the damage inflicted 8___________ the mural in the church of the Santuario de la Misericordia is being investigated by experts, but the artist's descendants are said to be unhappy that an individual decided to take the restoration job 9________ her own hands and fear her handiwork is irreversible.
Juan María de Ojeda, a city councillor, said the woman, acting "spontaneously and with good intentions", had confessed what had happened as soon as she realised "that things had got out of 10_________".
He added that while the mural was not a work of great importance, it retained a certain sentimental value 11___________ the artist's family still have strong links to the area.
"The family used to come here on holiday," Ojeda told El País. "He painted the picture one summer and left it to the town."
Although no one seems sure when the woman embarked 12_________ the restoration project, news of the incident first surfaced on the blog of the Centre for Borja Studies a fortnight ago.
The centre posted some graphic before-and-after pictures, along with a plaintive 13___________ confirming that someone had recently been up to no 14___________ with a brush.
"As incredible as it may 15_________, this is all 16________ remains of the work of an artist whose 17_____________ still live in our city," it said. "We do not know whether this unspeakable 18________ can be remedied, but there can be no doubt whatsoever that someone should take the necessary action to 19__________ that such behaviour is not repeated. Whatever the motives were, it must be roundly 20_________________."
Botched Ecce Homo restoration woman has 'anxiety attack'
24 August 2012
Cecilia Giménez, 81, reportedly ill after media frenzy and talk of 21________ action over her well-intentioned restoration disaster of the Ecce Homo fresco
Cecilia Giménez, 81, reportedly ill after media frenzy and talk of 21________ action over her well-intentioned restoration disaster of the Ecce Homo fresco
An 81-year-old who garnered worldwide media 22___________ after she tried – and spectacularly failed – to restore a painting in her local church may face legal charges.
Cecilia Giménez, the well-intentioned amateur restorer from the Spanish city of Borja, is reportedly in bed after an anxiety attack, with neighbours and relatives suggesting she feels overwhelmed because of the media frenzy over the unintentional damage she 23_________ to the mural.
Giménez told Spanish television that the priest knew about her attempts 24___________ restoration of the Ecce Homo painting by Elías García Martínez and that she had done nothing in secret. "The priest knew it and everyone who came into the church could see I was painting," she said.
Professional restorers plan to examine the painting to gauge 25_____________ restoration is possible.
Councillor Juan María de Ojeda criticised media attention 26_________ "disproportionate".
Cecilia Giménez, the well-intentioned amateur restorer from the Spanish city of Borja, is reportedly in bed after an anxiety attack, with neighbours and relatives suggesting she feels overwhelmed because of the media frenzy over the unintentional damage she 23_________ to the mural.
Giménez told Spanish television that the priest knew about her attempts 24___________ restoration of the Ecce Homo painting by Elías García Martínez and that she had done nothing in secret. "The priest knew it and everyone who came into the church could see I was painting," she said.
Professional restorers plan to examine the painting to gauge 25_____________ restoration is possible.
Councillor Juan María de Ojeda criticised media attention 26_________ "disproportionate".
Ecce Homo 'restorer' wants a slice of the royalties
20 September 2012
Cecilia Giménez, who made a painting of Jesus look like a very hairy monkey, wants economic 27_______________
Cecilia Giménez, who made a painting of Jesus look like a very hairy monkey, wants economic 27_______________
Some painters die penniless, their work unappreciated. So it
seems only 28_________ after her artwork attracted global attention that
Cecilia Giménez make some money – even if she did make Jesus look like a
very hairy monkey.
The 80-year-old Spanish parishioner became a worldwide 29__________ stock earlier this year after her botched restoration of a 19-century fresco of Christ with a crown of thorns became an internet 30___________. Millions were 31__________ to tears of laughter, even as some hailed it 32_________ a masterpiece in its 33____________ right.
Crowds have since swarmed 34___________ Giménez's handiwork, paying the Sanctuary of Mercy Church in Borja, near Zaragoza, €4 (£3) each to marvel or mock. And now Giménez wants a slice of the action.
"She just wants the church to conform 35__________ the law," said Enrique Trebolle, the lawyer hired by Giménez. "If this means economic compensation she wants it to be for charitable purposes."
Trebolle said that Giménez wanted her cut of the profits to help Muscular atrophy charities because her son suffers from the 36_____________.
Ecce Homo, or Behold the Man, by Spanish artist Elias Garcia Martinez had suffered years of deterioration 37__________ to moisture when Giménez decided to take her brush to it.
As the image's popularity grew, helped by an online petition in support of Giménez's work, paying visitors have poured thousands of euros into church 38____________.
Budget airline Ryanair even got in on the 39__________, laying 40___________ a special flight to Zaragoza airport.
The original artist's family have called 41_________ the image to be restored to its former 42__________.
Read the articles on the Guardian Website here, here and here
KEY
1. by
cack-handed: /ˌkæk ˈhændɪd/ a cack-handed person often drops or breaks things or does things badly. Clumsy. E.g. a great song ruined by cack-handed production.
2. road
3. with (pave something (with something) to cover a surface with flat stones or bricks. Sp. pavimentar. E.g. a paved area near the back door
scourge: /skɜːdʒ/ historical whip (someone) as a punishment. Sp. flagelar. E.g. our people did scourge him severely.
4. up (freshen something (up) to make something cleaner, cooler, newer or more pleasant. E.g. The walls need freshening up with white paint. The rain had freshened the air. Using a mouthwash freshens the breath.
5. job (be up to the job have the necessary ability. Sp. no tener las condiciones necesarias para el trabajo. E.g. I'm afraid Tim just isn't up to the job.
6. resembles
bloated: /ˈbləʊtɪd/ 1 full of liquid or gas and therefore bigger than normal, in a way that is unpleasant. Sp. hinchado. E.g. a bloated body floating in the canal. (Figurative) a bloated organization (= with too many people in it). 2 full of food and feeling uncomfortable. E.g. I felt bloated after the huge meal they'd served.
7. dubbed ( dub somebody + noun to give somebody/ something a particular name, often in a humorous or critical way. Sp. apodar. E.g. The Belgian actor Jean–Claude Van Damme has been dubbed ‘Muscles from Brussels’.
Botch something (up): (informal) to spoil something by doing it badly. Sp. estropear, hacer una chapuza. E.g. He completely botched up the interview. The work they did on the house was a botched job.
8. on/ upon (inflict to make somebody/ something suffer something unpleasant. Sp. infligir. E.g. inflict something on/ upon somebody/ something They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy. (Humorous) Do you have to inflict that music on us?
9. into (take something into your own hands: to deal with a particular situation yourself because you are not happy with the way that others are dealing with it. E.g. Many people are starting to take privacy protection into their own hands. Mike's mother wouldn't call the doctor, so Mike took matters into his own hands and did it for her.
Handiwork: /ˈhændiwɜːk/ work that you do, or something that you have made, especially using your artistic skill. Sp. manualidad/ trabajo manual. E.g. We admired her exquisite handiwork.
10. hand (out of hand difficult or impossible to control. E.g. Unemployment is getting out of hand.)
11. as/ since
12. on/ upon (embark on/ upon something (formal) to start to do something new or difficult. Sp. embarcarse, lanzarse. E.g. She is about to embark on a diplomatic career. Remember these basic rules before embarking upon major home improvements.
plaintive: /ˈpleɪntɪv/ sounding sad, especially in a weak complaining way. Sp. lastimero.E.g. a plaintive cry/ voice.
13. message
14. good (up to no good (informal) doing something wrong or dishonest. E.g. Those kids are always up to no good.)
15. seem
16. that
17. descendants
18. deed (act)
19. ensure
roundly strongly or by a large number of people. Sp. rotundamente, completamente. E.g. the latest attacks have been roundly condemned by campaigners for peace. The report has been roundly criticized. They were roundly defeated (= they lost by a large number of points).
20. condemned
Frenzy (of something) a state of great activity and strong emotion that is often violent or frightening and not under control. Sp. frenesí, histeria. E.g. in a frenzy of activity/ excitement/ violence. The speaker worked the crowd up into a frenzy. An outbreak of patriotic frenzy. A killing frenzy.
21. legal (legal action: the act of using the legal system to settle a disagreement, etc. E.g. to take/ begin legal action against somebody. They have threatened us with legal action.
Garner something: /ˈɡɑːnə(r)/ (formal) to obtain or collect something such as information, support, etc. Gather, acquire. Sp. conseguir, obtener. E.g. All the information that we garnered has been kept on file. The police struggled to garner sufficient evidence.
22. attention
23. caused
24. at (attempt /əˈtempt/ an act of trying to do something, especially something difficult, often with no success. E.g. attempt to do something Two factories were closed in an attempt to cut costs. Attempt at something/ at doing something The couple made an unsuccessful attempt at a compromise.)
gauge /ɡeɪdʒ/ evaluate, measure. Sp. medir, calibrar. E.g. It is impossible to gauge the extent of the damage.
25. whether
26. as
Royalty: a sum of money that is paid to somebody who has written a book, piece of music, etc. each time that it is sold or performed. Sp. derechos de autor. E.g. All royalties from the album will go to charity. She received £2000 in royalties. A royalty payment.
27. compensation
28. fair
29. laughing (laughing stock a person that everyone laughs at because they have done something stupid. Sp hazmerreir. E.g. I can't wear that! I'd be a laughing stock. She was the laughing stock of her class)
30. sensation
31. reduced, brought, moved (E.g. They reduced her to tears (= made her cry, especially by being cruel or unkind).)
32. as (hail: to describe somebody/ something as being very good or special, especially in newspapers, etc. Sp. aclamar. E.g. hail somebody/ something as something The conference was hailed as a great success.)
33. own (in your own right because of your personal qualifications or efforts, not because of your connection with somebody else. Sp. por derecho propio. E.g. She sings with a rock band, but she's also a jazz musician in her own right. He was already established as a poet in his own right)
34. to (swarm: /swɔːm/ to move around in a large group. E.g. Tourists were swarming all over the island.)
35. to/ with (conform to/ with something /kənˈfɔːm/ to obey a rule, law, etc. Comply. Sp. cumplir. E.g. The building does not conform with safety regulations.)
36. condition
37. due
38. coffers (coffers /ˈkɒfəz/ the funds or financial reserves of an organization. Sp. arcas. E.g. there is not enough money in the coffers to finance the reforms)
39. act (be/ get in on the act (informal) to be/ become involved in an activity that somebody else has started, especially to get something for yourself. Sp. sacar tajada. E.g. New companies want to get in on the act and provide cable services.)
40. on (lay something on (British English, informal) to provide something for somebody, a service, food, entertainment... E.g. to lay on food and drink. A bus has been laid on to take guests to the airport. The council provides a grant to lay on a bus.)
41. for (call for something: to publicly ask for something to happen. Sp. pedir, exigir. E.g. They called for the immediate release of the hostages. The opposition have called for him to resign.)
42. glory
The 80-year-old Spanish parishioner became a worldwide 29__________ stock earlier this year after her botched restoration of a 19-century fresco of Christ with a crown of thorns became an internet 30___________. Millions were 31__________ to tears of laughter, even as some hailed it 32_________ a masterpiece in its 33____________ right.
Crowds have since swarmed 34___________ Giménez's handiwork, paying the Sanctuary of Mercy Church in Borja, near Zaragoza, €4 (£3) each to marvel or mock. And now Giménez wants a slice of the action.
"She just wants the church to conform 35__________ the law," said Enrique Trebolle, the lawyer hired by Giménez. "If this means economic compensation she wants it to be for charitable purposes."
Trebolle said that Giménez wanted her cut of the profits to help Muscular atrophy charities because her son suffers from the 36_____________.
Ecce Homo, or Behold the Man, by Spanish artist Elias Garcia Martinez had suffered years of deterioration 37__________ to moisture when Giménez decided to take her brush to it.
As the image's popularity grew, helped by an online petition in support of Giménez's work, paying visitors have poured thousands of euros into church 38____________.
Budget airline Ryanair even got in on the 39__________, laying 40___________ a special flight to Zaragoza airport.
The original artist's family have called 41_________ the image to be restored to its former 42__________.
Read the articles on the Guardian Website here, here and here
KEY
1. by
cack-handed: /ˌkæk ˈhændɪd/ a cack-handed person often drops or breaks things or does things badly. Clumsy. E.g. a great song ruined by cack-handed production.
2. road
3. with (pave something (with something) to cover a surface with flat stones or bricks. Sp. pavimentar. E.g. a paved area near the back door
scourge: /skɜːdʒ/ historical whip (someone) as a punishment. Sp. flagelar. E.g. our people did scourge him severely.
4. up (freshen something (up) to make something cleaner, cooler, newer or more pleasant. E.g. The walls need freshening up with white paint. The rain had freshened the air. Using a mouthwash freshens the breath.
5. job (be up to the job have the necessary ability. Sp. no tener las condiciones necesarias para el trabajo. E.g. I'm afraid Tim just isn't up to the job.
6. resembles
bloated: /ˈbləʊtɪd/ 1 full of liquid or gas and therefore bigger than normal, in a way that is unpleasant. Sp. hinchado. E.g. a bloated body floating in the canal. (Figurative) a bloated organization (= with too many people in it). 2 full of food and feeling uncomfortable. E.g. I felt bloated after the huge meal they'd served.
7. dubbed ( dub somebody + noun to give somebody/ something a particular name, often in a humorous or critical way. Sp. apodar. E.g. The Belgian actor Jean–Claude Van Damme has been dubbed ‘Muscles from Brussels’.
Botch something (up): (informal) to spoil something by doing it badly. Sp. estropear, hacer una chapuza. E.g. He completely botched up the interview. The work they did on the house was a botched job.
8. on/ upon (inflict to make somebody/ something suffer something unpleasant. Sp. infligir. E.g. inflict something on/ upon somebody/ something They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy. (Humorous) Do you have to inflict that music on us?
9. into (take something into your own hands: to deal with a particular situation yourself because you are not happy with the way that others are dealing with it. E.g. Many people are starting to take privacy protection into their own hands. Mike's mother wouldn't call the doctor, so Mike took matters into his own hands and did it for her.
Handiwork: /ˈhændiwɜːk/ work that you do, or something that you have made, especially using your artistic skill. Sp. manualidad/ trabajo manual. E.g. We admired her exquisite handiwork.
10. hand (out of hand difficult or impossible to control. E.g. Unemployment is getting out of hand.)
11. as/ since
12. on/ upon (embark on/ upon something (formal) to start to do something new or difficult. Sp. embarcarse, lanzarse. E.g. She is about to embark on a diplomatic career. Remember these basic rules before embarking upon major home improvements.
plaintive: /ˈpleɪntɪv/ sounding sad, especially in a weak complaining way. Sp. lastimero.E.g. a plaintive cry/ voice.
13. message
14. good (up to no good (informal) doing something wrong or dishonest. E.g. Those kids are always up to no good.)
15. seem
16. that
17. descendants
18. deed (act)
19. ensure
roundly strongly or by a large number of people. Sp. rotundamente, completamente. E.g. the latest attacks have been roundly condemned by campaigners for peace. The report has been roundly criticized. They were roundly defeated (= they lost by a large number of points).
20. condemned
Frenzy (of something) a state of great activity and strong emotion that is often violent or frightening and not under control. Sp. frenesí, histeria. E.g. in a frenzy of activity/ excitement/ violence. The speaker worked the crowd up into a frenzy. An outbreak of patriotic frenzy. A killing frenzy.
21. legal (legal action: the act of using the legal system to settle a disagreement, etc. E.g. to take/ begin legal action against somebody. They have threatened us with legal action.
Garner something: /ˈɡɑːnə(r)/ (formal) to obtain or collect something such as information, support, etc. Gather, acquire. Sp. conseguir, obtener. E.g. All the information that we garnered has been kept on file. The police struggled to garner sufficient evidence.
22. attention
23. caused
24. at (attempt /əˈtempt/ an act of trying to do something, especially something difficult, often with no success. E.g. attempt to do something Two factories were closed in an attempt to cut costs. Attempt at something/ at doing something The couple made an unsuccessful attempt at a compromise.)
gauge /ɡeɪdʒ/ evaluate, measure. Sp. medir, calibrar. E.g. It is impossible to gauge the extent of the damage.
25. whether
26. as
Royalty: a sum of money that is paid to somebody who has written a book, piece of music, etc. each time that it is sold or performed. Sp. derechos de autor. E.g. All royalties from the album will go to charity. She received £2000 in royalties. A royalty payment.
27. compensation
28. fair
29. laughing (laughing stock a person that everyone laughs at because they have done something stupid. Sp hazmerreir. E.g. I can't wear that! I'd be a laughing stock. She was the laughing stock of her class)
30. sensation
31. reduced, brought, moved (E.g. They reduced her to tears (= made her cry, especially by being cruel or unkind).)
32. as (hail: to describe somebody/ something as being very good or special, especially in newspapers, etc. Sp. aclamar. E.g. hail somebody/ something as something The conference was hailed as a great success.)
33. own (in your own right because of your personal qualifications or efforts, not because of your connection with somebody else. Sp. por derecho propio. E.g. She sings with a rock band, but she's also a jazz musician in her own right. He was already established as a poet in his own right)
34. to (swarm: /swɔːm/ to move around in a large group. E.g. Tourists were swarming all over the island.)
35. to/ with (conform to/ with something /kənˈfɔːm/ to obey a rule, law, etc. Comply. Sp. cumplir. E.g. The building does not conform with safety regulations.)
36. condition
37. due
38. coffers (coffers /ˈkɒfəz/ the funds or financial reserves of an organization. Sp. arcas. E.g. there is not enough money in the coffers to finance the reforms)
39. act (be/ get in on the act (informal) to be/ become involved in an activity that somebody else has started, especially to get something for yourself. Sp. sacar tajada. E.g. New companies want to get in on the act and provide cable services.)
40. on (lay something on (British English, informal) to provide something for somebody, a service, food, entertainment... E.g. to lay on food and drink. A bus has been laid on to take guests to the airport. The council provides a grant to lay on a bus.)
41. for (call for something: to publicly ask for something to happen. Sp. pedir, exigir. E.g. They called for the immediate release of the hostages. The opposition have called for him to resign.)
42. glory
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