Spanish Woman Who Gained Fame for Botching a Famous Fresco Restoration Has Died at Age 94
The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her poorly executed repair job on a cherished religious painting has died at the age of 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she attempted to repaint a 100-year-old painting titled Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Monkey Christ", largely due to the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate.
Official Announcement and Tribute
The 94-year-old's passing was announced by the town'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," the mayor posted.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's History and the Fateful Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) by nineteenth-century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia near Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, then 81, stated that parishioners 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 observed she was applying paint to the original image.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The impact of the restoration spawned the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja quickly become a significant tourist destination.
The town, which had previously seen only 5,000 visitors per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Today, officials estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to view the notorious portrait, which is now protected by a pane of glass.
Legacy and Community Admiration
After recovering from the wave of criticism, backed by the townspeople and well-wishers around the world, Giménez later hold an art exhibition showcasing 28 of her own works.
She was commended by the mayor for her generosity and years of dedication to the parish.
Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful art repair created an improbable piece of pop culture and brought unprecedented tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.
