Spanish-born Woman Who Found Notoriety for Mishandling a Famous Fresco Restoration Has Died at the Age of 94
The elderly woman from Spain who achieved global fame for her poorly executed repair job on a valuable religious painting has passed away at the age 94.
Cecilia Giménez, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she undertook to repaint a century-old fresco titled Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the altered depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Local Announcement and Homage
The nonagenarian's death was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he described her as a "passionate lover of painting from a very early age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," Arilla wrote.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to repaint the work over".
The Artwork's Background and the Fateful Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by nineteenth-century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated that parishioners had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had received permission from the parish priest to do the work.
She added at the time that anybody who entered the Church would have observed she was painting over the original image.
A Surprising Economic Lifeline
The aftermath of the repaint job spawned the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja quickly become a major visitor attraction.
The municipality, which had previously welcomed just five thousand tourists per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Currently, officials estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja each year to view the notorious painting, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Later Life and Local Support
Following the wave of criticism, backed by the townspeople and others around the world, Giménez later hold an art exhibition showcasing 28 of her personal works.
She was commended by Borja's mayor for her generosity and decades of dedication to the church.
Ultimately, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful art repair forged an unlikely piece of pop culture and provided remarkable tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
