Spanish-born Parishioner Who Found Fame for Mishandling a Prized Painting Repair Has Died at Age 94
The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her poorly executed restoration attempt on a valuable religious painting has passed away at the age of 94.
The woman, from the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she attempted to restore a 100-year-old painting titled Ecce Homo located in her local church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate.
Official Confirmation and Homage
The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he acknowledged her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a young age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, we will always remember you," the mayor posted.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous 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, decided to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's Background and the Now-Infamous Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, then 81, explained that church members had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission from the parish priest to do the work.
She also noted that anybody who came into the church would have observed she was painting over the original image.
A Surprising Tourist Boom
The impact of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" meme and saw the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant tourist destination.
The town, which had previously seen only five thousand visitors per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Currently, officials say 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
Following the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and others around the world, Giménez went on to stage an exhibition of her paintings featuring 28 of her personal works.
She was commended by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of dedication to the parish.
Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful act of restoration forged an improbable piece of pop culture and provided remarkable tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
