Public Domain/Private Collection/Europa Press 2020The Virgin Mary figure on a copy of a 17th century painting was destroyed after two failed restoration attempts. Art experts are calling for a reform of current Spanish laws after a disastrous restoration job left a painting of the Virgin Mary’s angelic countenance completely distorted. According to the Guardian, an unidentified private art collector in Valencia was charged 1,200 euros by a furniture restorer who claimed they could clean and restore the collector’s copy of the Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables. The original artwork was created by baroque artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, who was a famous artist of the 17th century. Unfortunately, the restoration job was a complete failure. After the first failed attempt, the same amateur restorer tried to fix it — only to make it worse. The Immaculate Conception painting, in its rightful form, is a full-body portrait of the Virgin Mary dressed in a white and blue robe standing atop a cloud with a pack of little angels at her feet. As she gazes up toward the heavens, Mary wears a hopeful look on her delicate-featured face. APBefore and after of the distorted Jesus painting infamously known as ‘Monkey Jesus.’ After the botched restorations, however, the Virgin Mary was rendered unrecognizable. After the first attempt, Mary had lost all detail in the tendrils of her hair, and the contours of her face had morphed to resemble the ghostly figure in The Scream. Worst of all, her facial features had gone flat. After the second try, her face was completely changed again, except this time her face looked quite demonic. It’s unclear why the private art collector had entrusted their art piece to an amateur restorer — or why they let them “restore” it again for the second time — but, according to art experts, this kind of debacle is unfortunately not uncommon in Spain. Fernando Carrera, a professor at the Galician School for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, said the case was more proof that art restoration should only be legally allowed to be carried out by properly trained art restorers. “Can you imagine just anyone being allowed to operate on other people? Or someone being allowed to sell medicine without a pharmacist’s license? Or someone who’s not an architect being allowed to put up a building?” Carrera offered. While those might be extreme examples, Carrera admitted, the point stands that Spain’s law needs to ensure that art restorations are properly carried out. “I don’t think this guy — or these people — should be referred to as restorers,” he continued. “Let’s be honest: they’re bodgers who botch things up. They destroy things.” As it turns out, current Spanish laws regarding art restoration don’t require projects to be performed by certified or trained art restorers, meaning anyone with cleaning utensils is legally allowed to ‘spruce up’ an art piece. This is especially troublesome for a country with such a rich history of art spanning centuries. DSF/AFP/Getty ImagesBefore and after of the failed restoration of the Figures of Rañadoiro sculpture in 2018. Because of this loophole in Spanish law, María Borja, a vice president of the Association of Restorers and Conservators (ACRE) called the restoration an act of vandalism and said that such incidents were much more common than people think. “We only find out about them when people report them to the press or on social media, but there are numerous situations when works are undertaken by people who aren’t trained,” Borja told Europa Press which was the first to break the news of the disfigured Virgin Mary before it went viral around the globe. Other cases of art restoration works gone terribly wrong include the hack job on the Figures of Rañadoiro which rendered the 15th century art piece into an ugly Christmas ornament in 2018 and the failed restoration of the La Dolorosa de Arucas sculpture in June 2020. The most famous example is the unfortunate damage done to a century-old painting of Jesus Christ in a tiny chapel of the Sierra de Moncayo in northeastern Spain in 2012. The distorted Jesus eventually turned into an endearing symbol of religious devotion due to its elderly restorer, but it first became infamous as “Monkey Jesus” and “Potato Jesus” because of its undiscernible shape. Hopefully, after this “Demonic Mary” situation there will be some action from the higher powers of Spain. Next, learn how a priceless 17th century Caravaggio painting was found behind mattresses in an old French attic and read the story of a painting left inside a closet for decades that turned out to be worth millions. The post Failed Restoration Leaves Famous Painting Of The Virgin Mary Unrecognizable appeared first on All That's Interesting.

It turns out that being the home to America’s oldest sports franchise still in continuous operation since 1883 means that its history is both well — good and bad. Throughout the existence of Philadelphia, the city has seen its fair share of hoaxes and heists alike — and it turns out — the sport’s scandal has made it into our history books as well. Recently it’s been one hundred and twenty-five years since the Phillies were caught red-handled in a buzzer-based baseball scandal at the Baker Bowl on Lehigh Avenue.Michael Thomas Leibrandt explains. Morgan Murphy.Unfortunately for that same oldest, continuous sports franchise in American Sports History — the Phillies history has been intertwined with sign-stealing accusations multiple times over their long, storied history. Fifteen years ago in 2010 — during a stretch run of sustained success for the franchise catapulted by a 2008 World Series Championship right here at Citizens Bank Park — the team was accused of sign stealing when Philadelphia Bullpen Coach Mick Billmeyer utilized a pair of binoculars to observe catchers. In 2020 — players on the team even spoke out against the Houston Astros during their own sign-stealing controversy.To be fair — Major League Baseball Teams knew that something was going on with the Phillies for quite some time. On September 17th, 1900 — the world would find out exactly what that was. And if you looked at the analytics — in 1899 (one year after Murphy instituted his sign-stealing scandal)—the Phillies scored nearly 100 more runs at home. It was even noted that at the games where Murphy was not in attendance — that the Phillies could hardly hit at all.It turns out that all that the Philadelphia Phillies merely needed was some binoculars, a buzzer, and a certain player on the roster. During a double-header on September 17th against the Cincinnati Reds in Philadelphia in front of more than 4,800 fans — one of the earliest examples of sign-stealing in major league baseball would be exposed in the third inning.Phillies backup catcher Morgan Murphy had previously been associated with a sign-stealing scheme in Philadelphia in 1898. Then carefully positioned behind an outfield wall whiskey advertisement — he would utilize his field glasses to relay signals to the batter. In 1900 — he would take the scheme to a new level.Bringing in third base coach Pearce “Petie” Chiles — Murphy would sit in an observatory in the center-field clubhousewith binoculars in-hand. Then — Murphy relayed the signals from the visiting team’s catcher through the use of a telegraph device connected by hard-wire to a buzzer that had previously been buried under the third-base coaches box. Chiles has a noticeable leg-twitch — which some say combined with in detecting the vibrations of the buried buzzer — helped in allowing the scheme to be exposed.Back in the third-inning during one of the games of the double-header — Reds player Tommy Corcoran had uncovered something in proximity to third base. Before the stadium groundskeeper and a policeman could reach the third base area — Corcoran had dug up the buzzer. He followed the buzzer wire all the way to the Phillies clubhouse— confronting Murphy. Umpire Tim Hurst finally proclaimed, “Back to the mines, men. Think on that eventful day in July when Dewey went into Manila Bay, never giving a tinker’s dam for all of the mines concealed therein. Come on, play ball.”The Phillies were never punished by the MLB what was uncovered in Sept. 1900. With a final record of 75–63, they wouldn’t even make the playoffs. the Reds finished worse at 62–77. Just MLB history being made in September of 1900. And the outcome of the game itself? The Phillies won of course — by a score of 4–2. Michael Thomas Leibrandt lives and works in Abington Township, PA.

Vikings were renowned Norse warriors and seafarers, explorers and conquerors who conducted raids, traded goods, and explored Europe, Asia, and the North Atlantic between the eighth and 11th centuries. While they are often portrayed as nothing more than brutal killers, the reality was far more complex. The Vikings were highly skilled craftsmen, sailors, farmers, explorers, and poets with a rich and vibrant culture. And like any culture throughout history, there were some Vikings whose names and deeds would be remembered centuries after their passing. Read the stories of 13 famous Vikings below. Erik The Red, The Murderous Viking Whose Banishment Led To The Founding Of Greenland Bettmann/Getty ImagesA 1688 illustration of Erik the Red from Arngrin Jonas’ Gronlandia. Erik the Red was one of the greatest Viking explorers, but his path was paved with blood. Born around 950 C.E. in Norway as Erik Thorvaldsson, he gained his nickname from his fiery red hair and equally fiery temperament. When Erik was just 10 years old, his father Thorvald relocated the family to Iceland after being found guilty of manslaughter and facing banishment — a fate Erik himself would later share. Erik eventually married a wealthy woman named Thjodhild Jörundsdóttir and became prosperous and influential in his community. However, his violent nature would prove his undoing in Iceland. Around 980, after Erik’s servants accidentally triggered a landslide that destroyed a neighbor’s house, the neighbor’s kinsman killed Erik’s servants in retaliation. Erik responded by killing the kinsman and another man, leading to his banishment from the village. Public DomainSummer in the Greenland coast circa the year 1000 by Carl Rasmussen (1874). Two years later, Erik loaned ornamental wooden beams to a settler named Thorgest, who refused to return them. Erik took them by force, then preemptively ambushed Thorgest and his clan, killing two of Thorgest’s sons. This act earned him a three-year banishment from all of Iceland. Rather than sulk, Erik the Red chose exploration. In 983, after sailing roughly 900 nautical miles across the open ocean, he reached a large land mass and spent two years mapping it. Despite its cold, arid climate, he named it “Greenland” to entice settlers. In 985, Erik returned to Iceland and convinced about 400 people to join him. Of the 25 ships that departed, however, only 14 completed the journey. Erik lived prosperously in Greenland and raised four children, including his son Leif Erikson. Erik’s life ended rather anticlimactically shortly after the turn of the millennium, either during an epidemic or by falling from his horse. The post The Astonishing Stories Behind Some Of History’s Most Famous Vikings, From Erik The Red To Ivar The Boneless appeared first on All That's Interesting.

The Supermarine Spitfire is often hailed as Britain’s most iconic fighter aircraft of World War II, celebrated for its role in the Battle of Britain and its distinctive elliptical wings. (britannica.com) Its sleek design and high performance have cemented its status in popular culture. However, a closer examination reveals that its reputation may be inflated ...