Spanish-born Parishioner Who Found Notoriety for Botching a Famous Painting Repair Has Died at the Age of 94
The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her poorly executed restoration attempt on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she attempted to restore a 100-year-old painting titled Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and earned the moniker "Potato Jesus", largely due to the resulting depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey.
Local Confirmation and Homage
The 94-year-old's death was confirmed by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "passionate lover of painting from a very early age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, we will always remember you," the mayor posted.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's Background and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by nineteenth-century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the parish priest to proceed.
She also noted that anybody who came into the Church would have observed she was painting over the existing artwork.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The impact of the restoration spawned the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a significant visitor attraction.
The municipality, which had previously seen only 5,000 tourists per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Today, officials say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to view the notorious painting, which is now protected by a pane of glass.
Legacy and Community Admiration
Following the wave of criticism, with support from local residents and well-wishers around the world, Giménez went on to stage an art exhibition showcasing 28 of her own paintings.
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 flawed art repair forged an improbable cultural icon and provided remarkable tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.
