This combo pictures shows a sculpture before (right) and after being restored (left) on the exterior of an ornate office building in the city of Palencia, Spain, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020. Restoration work on a sculpture in northern Spain has resurrected memories of a restored Christ fresco in another Spanish city eight years ago that drew ridicule as well as tourists. (AP Photo/Alberto Calleja -left image- & Agencia ICAL -right image-)
By Ciarán Giles
Restoration work on a sculpture in northern Spain has resurrected memories of a restored Christ fresco in another Spanish city eight years ago that drew ridicule as well as tourists.
The latest incident concerns a relief sculpture on the exterior of an ornate office building in the city of Palencia. What was once the bust of a smiling woman now looks more like the head of a cartoon character.
The disfigurement was bought to light by a local artist who lives near the office building and was tipped off by a florist on his street. Antonio Capel posted before and after photographs on his Facebook page, triggering a flurry of social media reaction and attention from journalists.
“I was surprised. How could they have done this?” Capel told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "This must be at least 10-years-old, and we’re only finding out now.”
He said the 20th-century building belongs to a bank but tenants decided to fix the façade some years ago.
Now, Spanish media are showing images of people stopping to stare up at the building and to take photos.
The poorly done restoration drew immediate comparisons with an “Ecce Homo” fresco in the northern Spain town of Borja. A local amateur artist decided the circa 1930 depiction of Christ at the Sanctuary of Mercy church needed restoration, but the face she produced in 2012 immediately drew comparisons to a monkey.
View of the deteriorated version of 'Ecce Homo' mural by 19th-century painter Elias Garcia Martinez, at the Borja Church in Zaragoza, Spain, Wednesday, March 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Javier Vinuela)
However, her work turned into a Borja tourist attraction. It remains to be seen if the Palencia job will have the same effect.
A Palencia City Hall spokesman who declined to offer a name following internal procedure was unable to say when the work was carried out or by whom but said the restoration would most likely be investigated by regional authorities.
Marvel's 'Eternals' blasted into theaters Friday, bringing in $71 million in its opening weekend, becoming the fourth-best debut of the year. It comes at a crucial time for the box office as theaters attempt to bring back customers after over a year of pandemic-induced lulls. Shawn Robbins, Chief Analyst with BoxofficePro.com joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the state of the U.S. box office and a return to theaters.
Paulina Likos, Investing Reporter at US News & World report, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to break down how the U.S. reopening its borders to foreign travelers might provide a big boost to the hard-hit travel and tourism industry.
Jill Wagner and Baker Machado break down the state of the Opioid Crisis in the U.S. The CDC reported a 30% increase in overdose deaths from 2020 to 2021, but in recent months pharmaceutical companies have drastically raised the price of Naloxone or 'Narcan,' affecting the response of community harm prevention groups.
Jill and Carlo discuss the scenes of joy at American airports as borders reopen, another tool in the Covid toolbox, the latest in the Astroworld crowd crush tragedy and more.
The two biggest names in the ride-sharing industry reported earnings this week. Uber and Lyft both beat Wall Street expectations on their top and bottom lines, as the companies and the ride-sharing industry have recently faced several challenges like the pandemic, the supply chain crisis, and driver shortages. Johnson Research Group CEO Chris Johnson joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Gaming technology studio Mythical Games recently raised $150 million in a round led by Andreesen Horowitz, bringing Mythical's valuation to above unicorn status at $1.2 billion. Mythical Games' mission is to create a new generation of gaming with play-to-earn games that allow players to play to win actual cryptocurrency. Now the company is taking it to another level with NFT technology, allowing players to play with characters they can truly own. Mythical Games CEO John Linden joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Jacob Channel, Senior Economic Analyst at LendingTree, joins Cheddar to discuss the most popular reasons to refinance a mortgage, and when the right time is to consider refinancing.
The pandemic caused chaos in the wedding industry after ceremonies were postponed last year. But now couples face a new problem as they look toward their big day: supply chain issues. Tim Chi, CEO at The Knot, joined Cheddar to provide some additional details about the supply constraints affecting everything from venues to flowers. Chi also talked about The Knot celebrating its 25th anniversary and how the business has transformed over the years.
Entertainment journalist Scott Evans joins Cheddar News to discuss his latest hosting gig on 'America's Big Deal' and play a little game with Baker called 'Deal or Dud.'
