Spanish-born Woman Who Found Fame for Botching a Prized Fresco Restoration Has Died at Age 94
The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her poorly executed restoration attempt on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age 94.
Cecilia Giménez, from the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she undertook to restore a 100-year-old fresco titled Ecce Homo located in her local church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the resulting likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Official Confirmation and Homage
The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he acknowledged her as a "great enthusiast of painting from a young age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, we will always remember you," the mayor posted.
Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "because of the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to repaint the work over".
The Artwork's Background and the Now-Infamous Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia near Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to proceed.
She also noted that anyone who entered the Church would have seen she was applying paint to the original image.
An Unexpected Tourist Boom
The impact of the repaint job spawned the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja quickly become a major visitor attraction.
The municipality, which had previously seen only five thousand visitors per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Today, local authorities estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja each year to see the famous portrait, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Legacy and Community Support
After recovering from the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and well-wishers around the world, Giménez went on to hold an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her personal works.
She was praised by the mayor for her generosity and years of faithful service to the parish.
Ultimately, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful act of restoration forged an unlikely piece of pop culture and brought unprecedented tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
