Spanish Parishioner Who Gained Notoriety for Mishandling a Prized Painting Repair Has Died at the Age of 94
The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her infamous repair job on a cherished religious painting has passed away at the age 94.
The woman, from the town of Borja in northeast Spain, rose to prominence 13 years ago after she undertook to restore a 100-year-old fresco titled Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", largely due to the resulting likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Local Announcement and Homage
The nonagenarian's death 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 "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to apply new paint over the original".
The Painting's Background and the Now-Infamous Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for over a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, then 81, explained that church members had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to do the work.
She added at the time that anyone who came into the Church would have observed she was painting over the existing image.
An Unexpected Tourist Boom
The aftermath of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant tourist destination.
The town, which had in the past seen only 5,000 tourists per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Today, officials estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to see the notorious painting, which is now protected by a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Community Support
After recovering from the wave of criticism, backed by local residents and well-wishers around the world, Giménez later stage an art exhibition featuring twenty-eight of her personal paintings.
She was commended by the mayor for her kind-hearted nature and decades of dedication to the parish.
Ultimately, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful act of restoration created an unlikely piece of pop culture and provided remarkable tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
