Spanish Parishioner Who Gained Notoriety for Botching a Famous Painting Restoration Has Died at the Age of 94
The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her infamous restoration attempt on a cherished religious painting has died at the age 94.
The woman, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she attempted to restore a 100-year-old fresco titled Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", largely due to the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate.
Local Confirmation and Homage
The nonagenarian's death was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "passionate lover of painting from a young age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," Arilla wrote.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose to apply new paint over the original".
The Painting's Background and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, then 81, explained that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to do the work.
She also noted that anybody who came into the church would have observed she was applying paint to the original artwork.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The aftermath 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 municipality, which had in the past seen only 5,000 visitors per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Currently, local authorities estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to view the famous painting, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Legacy and Local Support
Following the initial backlash, backed by local residents and others globally, Giménez went on to stage an art exhibition showcasing twenty-eight of her own works.
She was praised by Borja's mayor for her generosity and years of dedication to the parish.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed art repair forged an improbable piece of pop culture and provided unprecedented tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
