Spanish-born Parishioner Who Found Notoriety for Botching a Prized Painting Repair Has Died at the Age of 94
The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her poorly executed repair job on a valuable religious painting has died at the age of 94.
Cecilia Giménez, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she undertook to restore a century-old fresco titled Ecce Homo located in her local church.
Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", largely due to the resulting depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to 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 described her as a "great lover of painting from a very early age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's History and the Now-Infamous Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to do the work.
She also noted that anyone who came into the Church would have seen she was applying paint to the original image.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The impact of the restoration spawned the "Ecce Mono" meme and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a major tourist destination.
The municipality, which had in the past welcomed just five thousand tourists per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise more than €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Currently, officials estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every year to view the notorious painting, which is now protected by a pane of glass.
Later Life and Community Admiration
After recovering from the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and others globally, Giménez later hold an art exhibition featuring twenty-eight of her personal paintings.
She was praised by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of faithful service to the parish.
Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration created an improbable cultural icon and brought remarkable tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.
