Spanish-born Woman Who Found Notoriety for Mishandling a Prized Fresco Repair Has Died at Age 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 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 known as Ecce Homo housed within her local church.
Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Potato Jesus", largely due to the altered likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey.
Official Confirmation and Tribute
The nonagenarian's passing was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "great lover of painting from a very early age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," the mayor posted.
Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's History and the Fateful Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a hundred years in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, then 81, stated that parishioners had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to do the work.
She also noted that anybody who entered the Church would have observed she was applying paint to the original image.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The impact of the restoration spawned the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and saw the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a major visitor attraction.
The town, which had previously welcomed just 5,000 tourists per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise more than âŹ50,000 for charity from the interest.
Today, officials estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja each year to see the notorious painting, which is now protected by a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Local Admiration
Following the initial backlash, with support from the townspeople and well-wishers around the world, Giménez went on to stage an exhibition of her paintings featuring twenty-eight of her own works.
She was commended by the mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of dedication to the church.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful art repair created an improbable piece of pop culture and brought remarkable attention and resources to a humble Spanish town.
