Spanish-born Parishioner Who Found Notoriety for Mishandling a Famous Fresco Repair Has Died at the Age of 94
The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her poorly executed repair job on a valuable Jesus Christ fresco has passed away at the age of 94.
Cecilia Giménez, from the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she undertook to repaint a century-old painting known as Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.
Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", largely due to the altered likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Local Announcement and Tribute
The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, 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," the mayor posted.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's Background and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, then 81, explained that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission from the parish priest to proceed.
She added at the time that anyone who came into the church would have observed she was painting over the original artwork.
A Surprising Tourist Boom
The aftermath of the restoration spawned the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a major tourist destination.
The municipality, which had previously welcomed just 5,000 visitors per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Currently, local authorities say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every year to view the famous portrait, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Later Life and Community Support
After recovering from the initial backlash, with support from the townspeople and well-wishers around the world, Giménez later hold an exhibition of her paintings featuring twenty-eight of her personal paintings.
She was praised by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of faithful service to the church.
Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration forged an improbable piece of pop culture and brought remarkable tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
