Hi there
Icon's Digital Media Officer here. I've recently gone through the most famous botched art restorations in recent years and decided to do a #tbt thread for a bit of fun & as a reminder of what we fight against
Let's proceed



After the head of this statue of baby Jesus in Ontario was stolen, a local artist restored the statue
. People on social media said it looks a bit like Maggie Simpson. Upon its inauguration, the thief decided to return the original head...

These church statues were professionally restored in 2002, but in 2018 a local resident obtained the parish priest's permission to freshen them up. They had been coloured for the first time
Zoom in for the undereye eyeliner

On the same note, this $328 restoration in Columbia gave San Antonio de Padua (and also baby Jesus) a smokey eye, lip gloss and blush
Resulting in something like a postmodern crossover between a church statue and a shop window mannequin

The 16th-century wooden statue of St. George in Navarra ended up looking like a fairground carousel ride after it was restored
So bad it had to be *unrestored* after the job... but at least this one has a happy ending

Therapist: The restored Anyue Buddha Song Dynasty statue isn't real. It can't hurt you.
The restored Anyue Buddha Song Dynasty statue:
The restored Anyue Buddha Song Dynasty statue:
Had to finish with the most famous example
in the years since, it inspired an opera, a documentary, a music video, and it now has its dedicated art centre

in the years since, it inspired an opera, a documentary, a music video, and it now has its dedicated art centre


Have I missed anything?
In all seriousness, choosing the right conservator is important. The wrong choice could result in permanent damage & loss in value: both monetary and of cultural significance. Icon’s Conservation Register was launched to fight against botched restorations: http://conservationregister.com