Spanish-born Woman Who Gained Fame for Mishandling a Famous Painting Repair Has Died at Age 94
The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her poorly executed repair job on a valuable Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age 94.
Cecilia Giménez, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she undertook to repaint a 100-year-old painting titled Ecce Homo located in her local church.
Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", because the altered depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey.
Official Confirmation and Tribute
The nonagenarian's death was confirmed by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he acknowledged her as a "passionate lover of painting from a very early age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," the mayor posted.
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, decided to apply new paint over the original".
The Painting's History and the Now-Infamous Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had received permission from the parish priest to do the work.
She added at the time that anyone who entered the church would have seen she was applying paint to the existing artwork.
A Surprising Economic Lifeline
The impact of the restoration spawned the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant tourist destination.
The town, which had in the past welcomed just five thousand visitors 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 say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja every year to view the notorious portrait, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Legacy and Local Support
Following the initial backlash, with support from the townspeople and well-wishers around the world, Giménez went on to hold an exhibition of her paintings featuring 28 of her personal paintings.
She was commended by Borja's mayor for her generosity and years of dedication to the parish.
Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed art repair forged an unlikely cultural icon and brought unprecedented attention and resources to a humble Spanish town.
