Spanish-born Parishioner Who Found Notoriety for Mishandling a Famous Fresco Repair Has Died at the Age of 94
The elderly woman from Spain who achieved global fame for her poorly executed repair job on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age 94.
Cecilia Giménez, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she undertook to restore a 100-year-old fresco titled Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's handiwork spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the resulting likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey.
Official Confirmation and Homage
The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he described her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a young 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 poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to apply new paint over the original".
The Painting's Background and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for over 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 received permission 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 existing artwork.
A Surprising Economic Lifeline
The impact of the restoration spawned the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant tourist destination.
The municipality, which had previously seen only 5,000 tourists per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Currently, officials say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to see the notorious painting, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Community Admiration
Following the wave of criticism, with support from the townspeople and others globally, Giménez later hold an art exhibition featuring twenty-eight of her own works.
She was praised by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of faithful service to the church.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration forged an improbable piece of pop culture and brought remarkable tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
