Amateur ruins century-old painting in Spain

It was described as a romantic gentle depiction of Jesus and had huge sentimental value to the parishioners of a small Spanish town. But now the 100-year-old fresco looks very different.

The delicate brush strokes are gone hidden under thick layers of paint all thanks to the hand of an elderly self styled art restorer.

“We saw that everything was falling down and we fixed it,” said Cecilia Hemenez.

The fresco was looking a little worn after a century hanging in the damp church but Hemenez said she had the priests blessing to make repairs and denies she did it in secret.

“No of course not,” she said, “everyone who came into the church could see me as I was painting.”

What's even more upsetting the artist’s family had just donated money for a professional restoration.

“It was bad enough she painted the tunic,” said the artist's granddaughter, “but the problem got worse when she started on the face, because now the painting is destroyed.”

Experts are doubtful it can be saved.

"This picture has now become so famous as it is, and it should be considered to just leave it alone and interfering with it anymore. There's got to be a key outside to get into it, see look at it."

The art work once known as Ache Homo known as behold the man, is now being called Ache Mono, ‘behold the monkey.’

There will be a meeting of experts on Monday to see if the painting can be saved.

It depends on how much of the original Hemenez took off.

Some reports suggested before painting over, she scraped away parts of the original.