Spanish Woman Who Gained Notoriety for Botching a Prized Fresco Restoration Has Died at the Age of 94
The elderly woman from Spain who achieved global fame for her poorly executed restoration attempt on a valuable Jesus Christ fresco 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 restore a century-old painting known as Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", largely due to the altered likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Official Announcement and Tribute
The 94-year-old's passing was announced by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he described her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a very early 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 "because of the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to repaint the work over".
The Painting's History and the Fateful Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for over a hundred years in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, then 81, stated 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 entered the church would have observed she was painting over the existing image.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The impact of the restoration spawned the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and saw the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a major visitor attraction.
The municipality, which had in the past welcomed just 5,000 visitors per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €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 notorious portrait, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Later Life and Local Support
Following the wave of criticism, backed by the townspeople and others around the world, Giménez later stage an art exhibition featuring 28 of her own 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 flawed act of restoration forged an unlikely cultural icon and brought remarkable tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
