Spanish-born Woman Who Gained Fame for Botching a Famous Fresco Restoration Has Died at Age 94
The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her infamous restoration attempt on a cherished religious painting has passed away at the age 94.
The woman, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence 13 years ago after she undertook to restore a century-old painting known as Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and earned the moniker "Potato Jesus", because the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Official Announcement and Tribute
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 lover of painting from a young age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote.
Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to repaint the work over".
The Painting's Background and the Now-Infamous Act
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, then 81, stated that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to do the work.
She added at the time that anybody who came into the Church would have seen she was applying paint to the existing artwork.
An Unexpected Tourist Boom
The impact of the restoration spawned the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant tourist destination.
The municipality, which had in the past 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, officials say 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 protective shield of glass.
Later Life and Local Support
Following the initial backlash, backed by local residents and others globally, Giménez later hold an exhibition of her paintings showcasing 28 of her own works.
She was commended by the mayor for her generosity and years of dedication to the church.
In the end, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful art repair forged an unlikely cultural icon and provided unprecedented tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
