Spanish-born Woman Who Found Notoriety for Mishandling a Famous Painting Restoration 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 of 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she undertook to restore a century-old fresco known as Ecce Homo located in her local church.
Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", largely due to the altered likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Local Announcement and Tribute
The 94-year-old's passing was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a young age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," Arilla wrote.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose to apply new paint over the original".
The Painting's History and the Fateful Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to proceed.
She also noted that anyone who came into the Church would have observed she was painting over the original image.
An Unexpected Tourist Boom
The aftermath of the repaint job spawned the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant tourist destination.
The municipality, which had previously seen only 5,000 tourists per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Today, local authorities say that between 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 Local Admiration
After recovering from the wave of criticism, with support from local residents and others around the world, Giménez went on to stage an art exhibition showcasing 28 of her own paintings.
She was praised by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and decades of faithful service to the parish.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration forged an improbable piece of pop culture and brought remarkable tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.
