Spanish-born Parishioner Who Found Fame for Mishandling a Famous Painting Restoration Dies at Age 94
The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her infamous repair job on a cherished religious painting has died at the age 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she attempted to repaint a 100-year-old painting known as Ecce Homo located in her local church.
Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Monkey Christ", largely due to the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Local Confirmation and Tribute
The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he acknowledged 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 also paid tribute to Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's History and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by nineteenth-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 "always repaired 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.
An Unexpected Economic Lifeline
The aftermath of the repaint job spawned the "Monkey Christ" meme and saw the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant visitor attraction.
The municipality, which had in the past seen only 5,000 visitors per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Today, local authorities estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to see the famous portrait, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Legacy and Local Support
After recovering from the wave of criticism, with support from local residents and well-wishers globally, Giménez later hold an art exhibition showcasing twenty-eight of her personal works.
She was praised by the mayor for her generosity and decades of faithful service to the parish.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration created an unlikely piece of pop culture and brought remarkable tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.
