A before and after of the restoration attempt

An 80-year-old Italian lady is in a bit of trouble with her local church after it would appear she ruined one of it’s 19th-century paintings. “The Fresco” – painted by Elías García Martínez, is a valuable oil painting of Jesus, staring off the edge of the painting wearing a crown of thorns.

In spite of its considerable value, local sources say that the painting has been deteriorating for quite some time. While a restoration was planned following a donation from the artist’s granddaughter, the elderly lady got there first – who decided to have a crack at restoration herself, “without permission, but with good intentions.”

She soon realised that she was in way over her head, and confessed her good deed to the local authorities. The painting is now in the hands of a professional restorer, who is assessing whether anything can be done to rescue it.

[Source: Yahoo!]