Spanish Woman Who Found Notoriety for Mishandling a Famous Fresco Restoration Has Died at Age 94
The elderly woman from Spain who achieved global fame for her infamous restoration attempt on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has passed away at the age of 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she attempted to repaint a century-old painting known as Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Monkey Christ", because the resulting depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Local Announcement and Tribute
The nonagenarian's death was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "great lover of painting from a young age".
"Descansa en paz 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 "because of the poor state of conservation it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to repaint the work over".
The Artwork's History and the Now-Infamous Act
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, then 81, stated that church members had "always repaired everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to do the work.
She added at the time that anybody who came into the Church would have observed she was applying paint to the original image.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The aftermath of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a major visitor attraction.
The municipality, which had previously welcomed just five thousand tourists per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Currently, local authorities say that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja each year to see the notorious painting, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Later Life and Community Support
Following the wave of criticism, backed by local residents and others around the world, Giménez later stage an art exhibition showcasing 28 of her personal paintings.
She was praised by the mayor for her generosity and decades of faithful service to the parish.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed art repair created an unlikely piece of pop culture and provided remarkable attention and resources to a small Spanish town.
