Spanish-born Woman Who Found Fame for Botching a Famous Fresco Repair Has Died at Age 94
The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her poorly executed repair job on a valuable Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age of 94.
Cecilia Giménez, from the town of Borja in northeast 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 spread across the internet and earned the moniker "Potato Jesus", largely due to the resulting depiction of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Official Announcement and Homage
The nonagenarian's passing was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he acknowledged her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a very early 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, with the best intentions, chose to repaint the work over".
The Artwork's History and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by nineteenth-century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated that church members had "always repaired everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the parish priest to do the work.
She also noted that anybody who came into the church would have seen she was painting over the original artwork.
A Surprising Economic Lifeline
The impact of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a significant visitor attraction.
The town, which had in the past welcomed just 5,000 visitors per year, attracted over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise more than €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Today, officials say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every year to view the famous painting, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Local Admiration
After recovering from the initial backlash, with support from local residents and others around the world, Giménez went on to hold an art exhibition featuring 28 of her personal paintings.
She was praised by the mayor for her generosity and years of dedication to the parish.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful art repair created an improbable piece of pop culture and brought unprecedented attention and resources to a humble Spanish town.
