Spanish-born Parishioner Who Found Fame for Mishandling a Famous Fresco 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 valuable religious painting has died at the age 94.
Cecilia Giménez, from the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she attempted to repaint a 100-year-old fresco 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 altered likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate.
Local Announcement and Tribute
The 94-year-old's passing was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, 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 "due to the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's Background and the Now-Infamous Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.
At the time, 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 local priest to proceed.
She also noted that anyone who came into the Church would have seen she was painting over the existing artwork.
A Surprising Economic Lifeline
The aftermath of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" meme and saw the previously sleepy town of Borja quickly become a major visitor attraction.
The municipality, which had previously welcomed just five thousand visitors per year, attracted over 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 every year to see the notorious portrait, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Later Life and Community Support
After recovering from the wave of criticism, backed by local residents and others around the world, Giménez went on to hold an exhibition of her paintings featuring twenty-eight of her own paintings.
She was commended by the mayor for her generosity and decades of dedication to the parish.
Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful art repair created an unlikely piece of pop culture and brought unprecedented tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.