 Over the centuries the frescoes were greatly altered and damaged . In 1746 the upper levels were painted over by the artist Vincenzo Meucci , covering up most of Masolino 's work . Then , in 1771 , the church was ruined by fire . The Brancacci Chapel , though structurally undamaged by the fire , suffered great damages to its frescoes . It was not until the years 1981 @-@ 1990 that a full @-@ scale restoration of the chapel was undertaken , restoring the frescoes to approximately their original state . The paintings had suffered some irreparable damage though , particularly the parts that were painted a secco : in The Tribute Money , the leaves on the trees were gone , while Christ 's robe had lost much of its original azure brilliance . 
