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Art Attack: Pensioner Destroys Church Fresco

A woman has horrified the congregation of her church in Spain after her attempt to restore a painting of Jesus went horribly wrong.

The fresco by Elijah Garcia Martinez had been admired in the Sanctuary of Mercy church in the northern city of Zaragoza for 120 years.

But after noticing the fresco had succumbed to damp and much of the paint had peeled from the plaster, the pensioner, in her 80s, embarked on a secret mission to restore 'Ecce Homo' (Behold The Man) to its former glory.

When the artwork was revealed, though, the original depiction of Jesus was unrecognisable.

To make matters worse, the church had secured a sizeable donation from the granddaughter of the artist to professionally restore the fresco only weeks before.

A spokesmen for the church in Zaragoza said: "The value of the original work was not very high but it was more of a sentimental value.

"The lady, who is in her 80s, apparently considers herself to be an artist. She acted without authorisation from anyone.

"The church is always open because many people visit and although there is a guard, no one realised what she was doing until she had finished."

The woman's handiwork is being examined by art experts to see if the painting can be saved.