Spanish-born Woman Who Found Fame for Mishandling a Famous Fresco Repair Dies at Age 94
The elderly woman from Spain who achieved global fame for her poorly executed repair job on a valuable Jesus Christ fresco has passed away at the age 94.
The woman, from the town of Borja in northeast Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she undertook to restore a century-old fresco titled Ecce Homo housed within her local church.
Giménez's handiwork spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", largely due to the resulting depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Official Confirmation and Tribute
The nonagenarian's passing 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, we will always remember you," the mayor posted.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "due to the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to repaint the work over".
The Painting's Background and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a hundred years in the Santuario de la Misericordia near Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated 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 anybody who entered the Church would have observed she was painting over the original image.
A Surprising Economic Lifeline
The impact of the restoration led to the creation of 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 more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Currently, local authorities estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every year to see the famous painting, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Legacy and Local Support
After recovering from the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and others around the world, Giménez later hold an exhibition of her paintings showcasing 28 of her own paintings.
She was commended by the mayor for her generosity and years of faithful service to the parish.
In the end, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful act of restoration forged an unlikely cultural icon and brought unprecedented tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.