Spanish Woman Who Found Fame for Botching a Prized Painting Restoration Has Died at Age 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 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she undertook to restore a century-old painting titled Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate.
Local Announcement and Tribute
The nonagenarian's passing was announced by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he acknowledged her as a "great enthusiast of painting from a very early age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, we will always remember you," the mayor posted.
Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to repaint the work over".
The Artwork's History and the Fateful Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for over a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that parishioners had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the parish priest to proceed.
She also noted that anyone who came into the church would have observed she was painting over the existing artwork.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The impact of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and saw the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a major visitor attraction.
The town, which had previously seen only five thousand tourists per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Today, local authorities estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja every year to view the famous painting, which is now protected by a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Local Support
After recovering from the initial backlash, with support from the townspeople and others globally, Giménez later hold an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her personal paintings.
She was commended by Borja's mayor for her generosity and years of faithful service to the church.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration created an unlikely cultural icon and provided unprecedented tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.
