Spanish Woman Who Gained Fame for Mishandling a Famous Painting Repair Dies at Age 94
The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her poorly executed restoration attempt on a cherished religious painting has died at the age of 94.
The woman, from the town of Borja in northeast Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she undertook to repaint a 100-year-old fresco titled Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Monkey Christ", because the altered likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Official Announcement and Homage
The nonagenarian's passing was announced 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, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote.
Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to apply new paint over the original".
The Painting's History and the Now-Infamous Act
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to proceed.
She added at the time that anybody who came into the church would have seen she was painting over the original artwork.
A Surprising Tourist Boom
The aftermath of the repaint job spawned the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and transformed the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant tourist destination.
The municipality, which had in the past seen only five thousand tourists per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Today, officials say that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to view the notorious painting, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Legacy and Community Admiration
After recovering from the wave of criticism, with support from the townspeople and well-wishers around the world, Giménez later hold an art exhibition showcasing 28 of her own paintings.
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 unsuccessful art repair forged an unlikely cultural icon and provided unprecedented tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.