Spanish Woman Who Found Fame for Botching a Famous Fresco Restoration Has Died at Age 94
The elderly woman from Spain who achieved global fame for her infamous repair job on a cherished religious painting has passed away at the age of 94.
Cecilia Giménez, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she undertook to repaint a century-old painting titled Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.
Giménez's handiwork spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the altered depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Official Confirmation and Homage
The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he described her as a "great enthusiast of painting from a young age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote.
Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose to repaint the work over".
The Artwork's History and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, then 81, stated that parishioners had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to proceed.
She also noted that anybody who entered the Church would have observed she was painting over the existing artwork.
A Surprising Tourist Boom
The aftermath of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" meme and transformed the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a major visitor attraction.
The town, which had in the past welcomed just five thousand visitors per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Currently, local authorities estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja every year to view the notorious painting, which is now protected by a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Local Admiration
Following the initial backlash, backed by local residents and well-wishers globally, Giménez later stage an art exhibition showcasing 28 of her personal paintings.
She was commended by Borja's mayor for her generosity and decades of dedication to the church.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful art repair forged an improbable piece of pop culture and brought remarkable tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.
