An amateur Spanish restoration painter, who insists she had permission, attempted to repair a century-old fresco of Jesus, to interesting results.

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What once looked like this - now looks like this.

It was a rare 19th century Spanish fresco known as "Ecce Homo" - painted by famed artist Elias Garcia Martinez and depicting the face of Jesus Christ.

An amateur art restorer in her 80's, Cecilia Gimenez decided it needed some work.

[Cecilia Gimenez, Amateur Art Restorer]:
''We saw that everything was falling down and we fixed it."

[Reporter]:
"Did somebody order these jobs?"

[Cecilia Gimenez, Amateur Art Restorer]:
"Of course, it was the priest! The priest knew! He did! How could we do something like that without permission? He knew!

[Reporter]:
"Did you do it secretly, didn't you?"

[Cecilia Gimenez, Amateur Art Restorer]:
''No! Of course not! Everybody who came into the church could see me as I was painting. I didn't do anything secretly.''

The artist's granddaughter - Teresa Garcia - donated the fresco exhibited in Church in the Spanish city of Borja.

[Teresa Garcia, Donated the Painting]:
"Until now she just painted on the tunic, but the problem started when she painted the head as well, because she has destroyed this painting."

The work had little financial value - but was treasured by the community.

The town council will bring in experts to try to fix it - but said considering the painting was done in oils direct onto a church wall - they face a tough task.