Spanish-born Woman Who Gained Fame for Botching a Famous Painting Repair Dies at Age 94
The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her poorly executed restoration attempt on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has passed away at the age of 94.
The woman, from the town of Borja in northeast Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she attempted to repaint a century-old fresco known as Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", because the altered likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey.
Local Confirmation and Homage
The nonagenarian's death was announced by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he acknowledged her as a "passionate 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 "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to apply new paint over the original".
The Painting's History and the Fateful Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by nineteenth-century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had received permission from the parish priest to proceed.
She also noted that anybody who entered the Church would have observed she was applying paint to the existing artwork.
A Surprising Tourist Boom
The impact of the restoration led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" meme and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a major tourist destination.
The town, which had previously welcomed just 5,000 visitors per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Currently, local authorities estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every year to see the famous painting, which is now protected by a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Local Admiration
Following the initial backlash, with support from local residents and others globally, Giménez later stage an exhibition of her paintings featuring 28 of her own paintings.
She was commended by Borja's mayor for her generosity and years of dedication to the church.
Ultimately, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful art repair created an improbable cultural icon and provided remarkable attention and resources to a small Spanish town.
