Spanish Woman Who Found Notoriety for Mishandling 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 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 100-year-old painting known as Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", largely due to the resulting likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey.
Official Announcement and Homage
The nonagenarian's passing was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "passionate 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 "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose to repaint the work over".
The Painting's Background and the Now-Infamous Act
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.
At the time, 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 seen she was painting over the existing artwork.
A Surprising Tourist Boom
The aftermath of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" meme and saw the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a significant tourist destination.
The municipality, which had in the past seen only five thousand tourists per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Currently, officials estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja each year to view the notorious painting, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.
Later Life and Community Admiration
Following the wave of criticism, with support from the townspeople and others globally, Giménez went on to hold an exhibition of her paintings featuring twenty-eight of her own works.
She was praised by the mayor for her kind-hearted nature and decades of dedication to the church.
Ultimately, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful act of restoration forged an improbable piece of pop culture and brought remarkable tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
