Spanish Parishioner Who Gained Fame for Botching a Prized Fresco Restoration Has Died at the Age of 94
The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her poorly executed repair job on a valuable religious painting has passed away at the age of 94.
Cecilia Giménez, from the town of Borja in northeast Spain, rose to prominence 13 years ago after she attempted to repaint a century-old painting known as Ecce Homo housed within her local church.
Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", largely due to the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Local Announcement and Tribute
The nonagenarian's passing was announced by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he acknowledged her as a "great lover of painting from a very early age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to repaint the work over".
The Painting's History and the Now-Infamous Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) by nineteenth-century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission 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.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The aftermath of the repaint job spawned the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and transformed the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a major tourist destination.
The town, which had previously seen only 5,000 visitors per year, attracted over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise more than €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Currently, officials say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to view the famous painting, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Local Support
Following the wave of criticism, with support from local residents and well-wishers around the world, Giménez went on to hold an art exhibition showcasing twenty-eight of her personal works.
She was praised by Borja's mayor for her generosity and decades of dedication to the parish.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed art repair created an unlikely cultural icon and provided remarkable tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.