‘Disney’ makeover for St George

It was a little known but wellregarded 16th century wooden carving of St George on horseback, battling a dragon, tucked away in a small church in northern Spain.

But the restoration efforts of a local handicrafts teacher have left the 500-year-old carving in Estella, Navarre, looking more like a cartoon character, attracting global dismay.

It has brought back bad memories for the Spanish cultural authorities of another church art botch job that caught the world’s attention: The restoration of Ecce Homo, a religious mural in Borja in 2012, that left Christ looking rather more like a monkey than the saviour. The carving of St George at the church of San Miguel de Estella has been repainted in bold colours.

The restoration of St George at the Romanesque church of San Miguel de Estella was conducted without consultation, according to Mayor Koldo Leoz. An arts-and-crafts workshop company called Karmacolour undertook the work at the behest of the local priest, apparently then handing the job to the local teacher.

“The restoration project should have been presented to the authorities and dependent on their agreement,” Leoz said.

The carving has been painted in bold colours, attracting comparisons with Walt Disney characters and Playmobil box sets in online memes.

Spain’s art restoration bosses are now considering what action to take.

The Spanish Conservationists and Restorers Association said the botched job showed “an alarming lack of the required training to undertake this kind of intervention”.