Spanish-born Woman Who Gained Notoriety for Mishandling a Famous Fresco Restoration Has Died at the Age of 94
The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her poorly executed repair job on a cherished religious painting has died at the age 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she undertook to repaint a 100-year-old painting known as Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", largely due to the altered likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Official Confirmation and Homage
The 94-year-old's death was confirmed by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he acknowledged her as a "great 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 August 2012, which "due to the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to apply new paint over the original".
The Painting's Background and the Now-Infamous Act
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by nineteenth-century artist 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 parishioners had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead 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.
A Surprising Tourist Boom
The impact of the repaint job spawned the "Monkey Christ" meme and saw the previously sleepy town of Borja quickly become a major tourist destination.
The town, which had previously seen only five thousand tourists per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €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 Community Support
Following the wave of criticism, backed by the townspeople and well-wishers around the world, Giménez went on to hold an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her personal paintings.
She was commended by the mayor for her generosity and years of dedication to the church.
Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful art repair created an unlikely cultural icon and brought remarkable tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
