10 Famous Art Conservation Efforts That Went Terribly Wrong

Art conservation is meant to preserve the masterpieces of history for future generations, but sometimes, these well-intentioned efforts go horribly wrong. Whether due to a lack of expertise, rushed decisions, or sheer carelessness, some restoration attempts have left artworks unrecognizable or damaged beyond repair. These failures remind us that art conservation is as much an art as it is a science, requiring skill, patience, and respect for the original work.

This list counts down ten infamous art conservation disasters, highlighting the mistakes that turned cultural treasures into cautionary tales.

Related: Top 10 Weird Images in Renaissance Paintings

10 The Melting Murillo: The Immaculate Conception (Spain, 2020)

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo’s The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables is a celebrated 17th-century masterpiece depicting the Virgin Mary. In 2020, a Spanish furniture restorer—who had no formal training in art conservation—was hired to clean the painting. The results were disastrous. After two failed attempts at “restoring” the Virgin Mary’s face, the work was left unrecognizable, resembling a blurry cartoonish figure rather than Murillo’s delicate artistry.

The incident sparked outrage and ridicule, with comparisons drawn to the infamous Ecce Homo restoration (which appears later on this list). Experts condemned the lack of oversight in Spain’s art restoration practices, where unregulated amateurs are often entrusted with valuable cultural artifacts. Murillo’s painting eventually required extensive professional restoration, but the event highlighted the ongoing risks of entrusting masterpieces to the wrong hands.^[1]

9 The Overwashed Sistine Chapel Ceiling (Italy, 1980s)

The Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo in the early 16th century, is one of the most iconic works of Western art. Between 1980 and 1994, a massive restoration project aimed to clean centuries of grime and soot from the frescoes. While the results brought vibrant colors back to life, critics argue that the restoration stripped away some of Michelangelo’s original details, particularly his subtle shadowing techniques, known as chiaroscuro.

Some art historians claim that overzealous cleaning altered the masterpiece’s intended depth and texture. They also allege that the restoration team relied too heavily on chemical solvents, permanently damaging parts of the fresco. While the Vatican defends the project as a necessary effort to preserve Michelangelo’s work, the controversy remains a heated topic among art experts, demonstrating the thin line between preservation and destruction.^[2]

8 The Repainting of The Last Supper (Italy, 18th Century)

Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper is a Renaissance masterpiece, but it has suffered centuries of damage due to environmental factors and previous restoration attempts. The worst offender was an 18th-century effort by painter Giuseppe Mazza, who attempted to “fix” the fresco by painting over Leonardo’s original work.

Mazza used oil paints rather than tempera, which not only obscured Leonardo’s delicate brushwork but also caused further degradation of the fresco. The repainting was widely criticized and ultimately removed in subsequent restoration efforts, but the damage was irreversible. Modern techniques have since stabilized the painting, but much of Leonardo’s original genius is lost, leaving The Last Supper as a cautionary example of restoration gone wrong.^[3]

7 The Waxing of the Parthenon Sculptures (England, 1937)

In 1937, British Museum staff undertook a controversial cleaning project on the Parthenon Marbles (also known as the Elgin Marbles). Workers used wire brushes, abrasive tools, and even acid to strip away centuries of grime, believing they were restoring the sculptures to their original state. Instead, they removed valuable patina, leaving the surfaces irreparably damaged.

The cleaning was later described as a “calamity” by art historians, who argued that the Marbles’ historical integrity was compromised. The incident remains a sore point in debates over the Marbles’ ownership, with Greece citing the botched restoration as evidence of Britain’s inability to properly care for these ancient treasures.^[4]

6 The Darkened Rembrandt: The Night Watch (Netherlands, 1940s)

Rembrandt’s The Night Watch is a Dutch masterpiece, but a 1940s restoration attempt resulted in unintended damage. To “brighten” the painting, restorers applied a thick layer of varnish, which eventually darkened over time, obscuring much of the work’s detail.

When later efforts were made to remove the varnish, they caused abrasions to the painting’s surface, leading to further loss of Rembrandt’s original brushwork. The restoration efforts caused outrage among art lovers and highlighted the dangers of invasive techniques. Today, The Night Watch remains under close monitoring, with modern conservators using cutting-edge methods to prevent further damage.^[5]

5 The Frankenstein Mummy (Egypt, 19th Century)

In the 19th century, early Egyptologists attempted to conserve mummies using a variety of experimental techniques. One particularly disastrous example involved a mummy from the British Museum, which was treated with paraffin wax to stabilize its fragile wrappings. While the wax initially preserved the mummy, it later caused the linens to deteriorate, leaving parts of the artifact irreparably damaged.

The case exemplifies the trial-and-error approach of early conservation, where well-meaning but uninformed efforts often caused more harm than good. Today, conservators rely on non-invasive techniques, but the mistakes of the past serve as a reminder of the risks of experimenting on irreplaceable artifacts.^[5]

4 The “Cartoonish” St. George Statue (Spain, 2018)

In 2018, an attempt to restore a 16th-century wooden sculpture of St. George at the Church of San Miguel de Estella in Spain turned into a widely publicized disaster. The statue, depicting St. George slaying a dragon, was entrusted to a local crafts teacher lacking expertise in art restoration. The result was a garish transformation: the saint was repainted with bright pink cheeks, a flat expression, and an anachronistic color palette. The restoration obliterated the intricate details and historical layers of the original, sparking outrage among art historians and conservationists who lamented the irreversible damage to the centuries-old artifact.

The debacle highlighted the dangers of neglecting proper conservation protocols. Critics faulted the church and local authorities for failing to involve qualified professionals violating regulations for heritage preservation. The incident also reignited debates about protecting cultural artifacts, particularly in small communities with limited resources and awareness of conservation standards. Globally, the botched restoration attracted media attention and ridicule, with many comparing it to the infamous “Ecce Homo” fresco fiasco of 2012. While some hoped the uproar would spotlight the need for better funding and education in restoration practices, others mourned the loss of another irreplaceable piece of history to negligence.^[7]

3 The Flaking Vermeer: The Girl with the Pearl Earring (Netherlands, 1990s)

Johannes Vermeer’s The Girl with the Pearl Earring is one of the most beloved paintings in the world, but a restoration effort in the 1990s stirred controversy among art historians and conservators. The cleaning was intended to remove layers of varnish and grime that had accumulated over centuries, obscuring Vermeer’s luminous colors and delicate brushwork. While the cleaning did reveal the painting’s original brilliance, it also introduced new risks. Some experts claimed that micro-flaking appeared in certain areas, particularly around the girl’s face and the iconic pearl earring, due to the cleaning solvents used.

In addition, critics argued that the restoration may have stripped away layers of glaze that Vermeer himself applied, subtly altering the painting’s texture and depth. Although The Girl with the Pearl Earring remains a global icon, the restoration raised questions about the ethics of interventions that prioritize aesthetic appeal over historical integrity. This incident highlights the challenges of preserving fragile works while balancing the expectations of modern audiences and museums.^[8]

2 The “Potato Head” Jesus: Ecce Homo (Spain, 2012)

In 2012, a fresco of Jesus Christ, Ecce Homo, became an international sensation after an amateur restoration attempt went disastrously wrong. Painted by 19th-century artist Elías García Martínez, the fresco was a modest but revered depiction of Christ in the Sanctuary of Mercy church in Borja, Spain. Cecilia Giménez, a well-meaning but untrained parishioner in her 80s, attempted to restore the deteriorating work [LINK 9]. The result was a grotesque image with distorted proportions and what many described as a “Potato Head” or “Monkey Jesus.”

While the restoration was widely mocked, it unexpectedly transformed the small town of Borja into a tourist destination. Visitors flocked to see the botched fresco, and it became a symbol of both art-world cautionary tales and internet humor. Despite its comedic legacy, the incident sparked serious discussions about the risks of allowing unqualified individuals to work on significant cultural artifacts. Some experts have argued that the fresco could have been saved if professional intervention had been sought earlier, but now it is permanently altered—albeit with a new, peculiar charm.^[9]

1 The Ruined Rockefeller Picasso: Le Tricorne (USA, 2014)

Pablo Picasso’s Le Tricorne, a 1919 painted stage curtain, became the center of a controversial incident in 2014 when it was damaged during a move from New York’s Four Seasons Restaurant to the New York Historical Society. The curtain, measuring over 20 feet (6 meters) tall, had been a beloved fixture at the restaurant for decades, acting as both a decorative centerpiece and a symbol of modern art’s integration into public spaces. When the building’s management decided to move the piece to accommodate renovations, experts warned of the risks involved in transporting such a fragile artwork.

Those warnings proved prescient when Le Tricorne was torn during the transfer due to improper handling and inadequate equipment. The incident caused outrage in the art community, with critics accusing the movers and property owners of negligence. Although the curtain was eventually repaired, the damage was irreversible in certain areas, diminishing the artwork’s historical and cultural value. The controversy reignited debates about the responsibilities of private owners in safeguarding public treasures and highlighted the dangers of underestimating the complexities of moving large-scale, delicate artworks.^[10]