Spanish Parishioner Who Gained Notoriety for Mishandling a Prized Fresco Restoration Has Died at Age 94
The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her poorly executed repair job on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has passed away at the age 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she undertook to repaint a 100-year-old painting titled Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the resulting depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Official Confirmation and Tribute
The 94-year-old's passing was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he acknowledged her as a "great enthusiast of painting from a very early age".
"Rest in peace 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 poor state of conservation it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's Background and the Now-Infamous Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by nineteenth-century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, then 81, stated that parishioners had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to proceed.
She added at the time that anyone who entered the Church would have observed she was applying paint to the existing artwork.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The impact of the restoration led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant visitor attraction.
The municipality, which had in the past seen only five thousand visitors per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Currently, officials estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to see the notorious portrait, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.
Later Life and Community Support
Following the initial backlash, with support from the townspeople and others globally, Giménez went on to hold an exhibition of her paintings showcasing 28 of her personal works.
She was praised by the mayor for her generosity and decades of dedication to the church.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful act of restoration forged an unlikely piece of pop culture and brought remarkable tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
