Spanish Woman Who Found Fame for Botching a Famous Fresco Repair Has Died at Age 94
The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her poorly executed repair job on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age 94.
Cecilia Giménez, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she undertook to repaint a century-old fresco titled Ecce Homo housed within her local church.
Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the altered likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey.
Local Confirmation and Homage
The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "great enthusiast of painting from a young age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," Arilla wrote.
Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to repaint the work over".
The Artwork's History and the Now-Infamous Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission from the parish priest to do the work.
She also noted that anyone who came into the church would have observed she was painting over the existing image.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The impact of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and transformed the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a major tourist destination.
The municipality, which had previously welcomed just five thousand tourists per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Today, officials say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to see the famous portrait, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Legacy and Local Admiration
Following the wave of criticism, backed by the townspeople and well-wishers globally, Giménez went on to hold an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her personal works.
She was commended by Borja's mayor for her generosity and years of dedication to the church.
In the end, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful act of restoration forged an improbable piece of pop culture and brought unprecedented tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.
