Spanish-born Woman Who Found Fame for Mishandling a Prized Fresco Repair Has Died at Age 94
The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her poorly executed repair job on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age of 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she attempted to restore a 100-year-old fresco known as Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", because the resulting depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Local Confirmation and Homage
The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he acknowledged her as a "great lover of painting from a very early age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, we will always remember you," the mayor posted.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to repaint the work over".
The Artwork's History and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a hundred years in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, then 81, explained that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to proceed.
She also noted that anyone who entered the Church would have observed she was applying paint to the original artwork.
A Surprising Tourist Boom
The aftermath of the restoration led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and saw the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant tourist destination.
The town, which had in the past welcomed just 5,000 visitors per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise more than €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Currently, local authorities estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to see the famous portrait, which is now protected by a pane of glass.
Legacy and Local Admiration
Following the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and others globally, Giménez later hold an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her own works.
She was commended by the mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of dedication to the parish.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful art repair forged an improbable cultural icon and provided remarkable attention and resources to a small Spanish town.
