Spanish-born Woman Who Gained Fame for Mishandling a Prized Fresco Repair Has Died at the Age of 94
The elderly woman from Spain who achieved global fame for her infamous repair job on a valuable Jesus Christ fresco 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 attempted to restore a 100-year-old fresco titled Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and earned the moniker "Potato Jesus", because the resulting depiction of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Official Confirmation 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 lover of painting from a very early age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," the mayor posted.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's Background and the Now-Infamous Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a hundred years in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, then 81, stated that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the parish priest to do the work.
She also noted that anybody who came into the Church would have seen she was applying paint to the original artwork.
An Unexpected Tourist Boom
The aftermath of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" meme and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja quickly become a major tourist destination.
The municipality, which had previously seen only 5,000 visitors per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Currently, officials estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every year to see the famous painting, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Later Life and Local Admiration
After recovering from the wave of criticism, with support from local residents and others around the world, Giménez went on to hold an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her personal works.
She was commended by the mayor for her generosity and years of faithful service to the church.
In the end, what began as a sincere but flawed act of restoration forged an improbable cultural icon and brought unprecedented attention and resources to a small Spanish town.
