The restoration of an iconic 17th century statue of the Virgin Mary has sparked outrage among worshippers who claim it left her looking like she got ‘botched plastic surgery’.
La Macarena – a beloved 5ft 9in wooden effigy of the Virgin Mary in Seville, Spain – was sent out from her shrine back in June for some regular touch ups.
However when she came back, furious devotees said they no longer recognised her face.
Her glow-up saw her gain longer eye lashes, a changes to the colour of her complexion and tweaks to her skin and nose.
La Macarena’s usual restorer, Francisco Arquillo Torres, 85, is now in disgrace and lying low following the botched procedure.
He had offered to do just a general check up, to remove the stains in tear duct and inspect her eyelashes.
But Seville’s faithful and those who travel from across the world to catch a glimpse of the figure during the city’s Holy Week parades were left demanding answers.
‘Her facial expression has completely changed,’ one outraged worshipper told Spanish newspaper El Pais.
BEFORE: Image shows the Virgen de la Macarena before she underwent a makeover
AFTER: The glow-up saw her gain longer eye lashes, a smokier look to her complexion and tweaks to her skin and nose
Protesters gathered outside the Basilica de la Macarena in Seville in June demanding answers about the effigy
‘It pains me deeply to say it, but she looks like a poor copy of the original.’
‘It was like she got makeup,’ another added to The New York Times. ‘And the Macarena cannot be made up!’
One woman even accused Mr Arquillo, a professor at the University of Seville who has worked on the figure for years, of ‘murdering’ the Virgen live on television.
The makeover sparked huge protests in Seville and also triggered instability within the Brotherhood of the Macarena – the group entrusted with protecting her image.
Hundreds of angry worshippers gathered outside the Basilica de la Macarena in June calling for the resignation of the brotherhood’s leader.
The church quickly issued an apology and closed for half a day while last minute touch ups were carried out.
And when it reopened, the effigy, which is paraded around Seville every year during the city’s historic Semana Santa celebrations, had shorter eyelashes.
However, the changes did little to quell the unrest – with worshippers saying her facial expression had got even worse.
The effigy in Seville is due to undergo its most extensive restoration to date
The brotherhood issued an apology and closed the basilica while last-minute touch ups were carried out
Image shows the Virgin after the restoration. Critics say she appears to have longer eyelashes, completely changing her facial expression
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'Botched' restoration to church Virgin Mary statue sparks huge protests from worshippers in Spain
Pedro Manzano, the Seville’s ‘doctor’ to the divine, has now been entrusted to fix La Macarena’s botched makeover.
‘It’s a big responsibility, there’s nothing more dangerous than this job,’ Manzano told The Times.
‘If people don’t like what you do, they can come at you on the street.’
Nevertheless it is expected to be months before La Macarena reappears above the Basilica in Seville.
The religious icon’s controversial makeover has been likened to the botched art restoration of a painting of Jesus Christ, which resulted in the artwork being dubbed: ‘Monkey Christ’.
In 2012, Cecilia Giménez, 82, decided to touch up the ‘Ecce Homo’ (Behold The Man) fresco in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy church in Borja, northern Spain.
However, her brushwork completely obliterated the face of Jesus transforming the painting into what locals described as more like a hedgehog or hairy monkey rather than Jesus.
It also comes after a Polish village was left outraged earlier this year after a botched renovation of a 1820 shrine of Jesus and the Virgin Mary left the Blessed Mother looking like a ‘Simpsons’ cartoon character.
Once described by experts as ‘tall and slender’, the Virgin Mary statue just outside the village of Stuszionka now has oversized mitten-like hands, exaggerated eyes and a crooked frown accentuated by bright red lipstick.
Image shows the interior of the basilica in Seville where the Virgen is kept
Protesters sang hymns to the Virgin and demanded the resignation of the leader of the brotherhood
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Botched renovation of Jesus and Virgin Mary shrine likened to 'Simpsons' character
The figure of Jesus, meanwhile, appears to be wearing grey underpants, and both figures have been repainted with an unnatural yellow hue.
Posting a photo on Facebook, the Conservator of Monuments said: ‘A rather rare depiction of the Virgin Mary looking upwards.
‘Another example of good intentions… Let’s hope that in the near future this valuable object will receive professional conservation, because it deserves it very much.’
It added that the unknown restorer had also painted over the shrine’s original German inscription, replacing it with the markings ‘VII 2024, JC 2,’ written in what appears to be a black marker pen.
Locals vented their fury with the botch job, with some describing it as ‘desecration’.
Posting on social media, one outraged viewer said: ‘The times of the greatest barbarity and ignorance of Spirit and Reason have come.’
Another commented: ‘I would take a risk and notify the prosecutor’s office about offending religious feelings. Because this is nothing more than an example of desecrating an object of religious worship.’
‘It looks more like Bart Simpson than The Mother Mary,’ said another.