Spanish-born Woman Who Found Notoriety for Botching a Famous Fresco Restoration Has Died at the Age of 94
The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her infamous restoration attempt on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age of 94.
Cecilia Giménez, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, rose to prominence 13 years ago after she attempted to restore a century-old fresco titled Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Potato Jesus", largely due to the altered depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Official Confirmation and Homage
The 94-year-old's passing was announced by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he described her as a "great enthusiast of painting from a young age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," the mayor posted.
Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the poor state of conservation it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's History and the Now-Infamous Act
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by nineteenth-century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for over a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that church members had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to proceed.
She also noted that anybody who came into the church would have seen she was painting over the original image.
A Surprising Tourist Boom
The aftermath of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a significant tourist destination.
The municipality, which had previously welcomed just 5,000 tourists per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Currently, local authorities estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to view the famous portrait, which is now protected by a protective shield of glass.
Later Life and Local Admiration
Following the wave of criticism, backed by local residents and well-wishers globally, Giménez went on to hold an art exhibition featuring 28 of her own paintings.
She was commended by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of faithful service to the parish.
In the end, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful act of restoration created an unlikely cultural icon and brought unprecedented tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.