Spanish Woman Who Found Notoriety for Mishandling a Prized Painting Restoration Dies 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 died at the age of 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she attempted to restore a 100-year-old painting known as Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.
Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Monkey Christ", because the resulting likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Official Announcement and Tribute
The nonagenarian's death was announced by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he acknowledged her as a "great enthusiast of painting from a young age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," the mayor posted.
Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the poor state of conservation it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose to repaint the work over".
The Painting's History and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by nineteenth-century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, then 81, explained that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had received permission from the local 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 image.
An Unexpected Tourist Boom
The impact of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" meme and saw the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a significant visitor attraction.
The town, which had in the past welcomed just five thousand visitors per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Today, officials say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja every year to see the notorious 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 globally, Giménez went on to hold an art exhibition showcasing 28 of her own works.
She was commended by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of dedication to the church.
Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration created an improbable cultural icon and brought remarkable attention and resources to a small Spanish town.
