Spanish Parishioner Who Found Notoriety for Mishandling a Prized Fresco Repair Has Died at Age 94
The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her infamous restoration attempt on a valuable religious painting has died at the age of 94.
The woman, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence 13 years ago after she undertook to restore a 100-year-old painting titled Ecce Homo housed within her local church.
Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and earned the moniker "Potato Jesus", because the altered likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Local Confirmation and Tribute
The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, 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 "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to repaint the work over".
The Artwork's Background and the Fateful Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by nineteenth-century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a hundred years in the Santuario de la Misericordia near Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to proceed.
She added at the time that anyone who came into the church would have observed she was painting over the original artwork.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The impact of the restoration led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" meme and saw the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant tourist destination.
The municipality, which had in the past seen only 5,000 tourists per year, attracted over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Currently, local authorities estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja each year to see the famous portrait, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Community Admiration
Following the wave of criticism, with support from local residents and well-wishers around the world, Giménez went on to stage an art exhibition showcasing twenty-eight of her personal paintings.
She was commended by the mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of dedication to the church.
Ultimately, what began as a sincere but flawed act of restoration created an unlikely cultural icon and brought unprecedented tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
