Spanish Woman Who Gained Fame for Mishandling a Famous Painting Restoration Has Died at the Age of 94
The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her poorly executed restoration attempt on a cherished religious painting has passed away at the age of 94.
Cecilia Giménez, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she undertook to restore a century-old painting known as Ecce Homo located in her local church.
Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Potato Jesus", because the altered depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Local Announcement and Tribute
The 94-year-old's death was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a young age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," the mayor posted.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose to repaint the work over".
The Artwork's History and the Fateful Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, then 81, stated that parishioners had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to do the work.
She added at the time that anybody who entered the Church would have observed she was painting over the existing image.
A Surprising Tourist Boom
The impact of the restoration spawned the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and saw the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant visitor attraction.
The town, which had in the past welcomed just five thousand visitors per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise more than €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Currently, local authorities 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 protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Local Admiration
Following the wave of criticism, with support from the townspeople and well-wishers globally, Giménez later stage an art exhibition featuring twenty-eight of her own works.
She was commended by the mayor for her generosity and decades of faithful service to the church.
Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful act of restoration forged an improbable piece of pop culture and provided unprecedented attention and resources to a small Spanish town.