Spanish Parishioner Who Found Fame for Botching a Famous Painting Restoration Has Died at Age 94
The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her poorly executed restoration attempt on a cherished religious painting has died at the age 94.
Cecilia Giménez, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, rose to prominence 13 years ago after she undertook to repaint a century-old painting known as Ecce Homo located in her local church.
Giménez's handiwork spread across the internet and earned the moniker "Monkey Christ", largely due to the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Local Announcement and Homage
The nonagenarian's passing was confirmed by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he described her as a "great 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 was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's Background and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia near Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the parish priest to do the work.
She also noted that anyone who came into the Church would have seen she was applying paint to the existing artwork.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The aftermath of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" meme and saw the previously sleepy town of Borja quickly become a significant tourist destination.
The town, which had previously welcomed just five thousand visitors per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Currently, officials estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja each year to see the notorious portrait, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Community Admiration
Following the initial backlash, with support from the townspeople and well-wishers around the world, Giménez later hold an exhibition of her paintings featuring 28 of her own works.
She was commended by Borja's mayor for her generosity and decades of dedication to the parish.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration forged an improbable piece of pop culture and provided unprecedented tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
