Spanish-born Parishioner Who Found Notoriety for Botching a Famous Painting Restoration Has Died at the Age of 94
The elderly woman from Spain who achieved global fame for her poorly executed repair job on a cherished religious painting has died at the age of 94.
The woman, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she attempted to restore a century-old painting titled Ecce Homo housed within her local church.
Giménez's handiwork spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the resulting likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey.
Official Announcement and Homage
The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he acknowledged her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a very early age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," the mayor posted.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the poor state of conservation it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose to repaint the work over".
The Painting's History and the Now-Infamous Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia near 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 added at the time that anybody who came into the Church would have seen she was painting over the original artwork.
A Surprising Economic Lifeline
The aftermath of the restoration led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a major tourist destination.
The town, which had previously seen only five thousand visitors per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Today, officials estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja each year to see the famous portrait, which is now protected by a pane of glass.
Legacy and Local Admiration
Following the wave of criticism, backed by the townspeople and well-wishers around the world, Giménez later stage an art exhibition featuring 28 of her own paintings.
She was praised by Borja's mayor for her generosity and years of faithful service to the parish.
Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed art repair created an unlikely cultural icon and brought remarkable attention and resources to a small Spanish town.
