Spanish Woman Who Found Fame for Botching a Famous Fresco Restoration Has Died at Age 94

The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her poorly executed restoration attempt on a valuable Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age 94.

The woman, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she undertook to repaint a 100-year-old painting known as Ecce Homo housed within her local church.

Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the resulting depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.

Local Confirmation and Tribute

The nonagenarian's death was confirmed by Borja'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 was in, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to repaint the work over".

The Artwork's Background and the Fateful Intervention

The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia near Zaragoza.

At the time, Giménez, then 81, explained that parishioners had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the parish priest to do the work.

She added at the time that anyone who came into the Church would have seen she was applying paint to the existing image.

A Surprising Economic Lifeline

The impact of the restoration led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and saw the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a major tourist destination.

The municipality, which had in the past welcomed just 5,000 visitors per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €50,000 for charity from the interest.

Currently, local authorities say that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja every year to view the famous portrait, which is now protected by 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 went on to stage an exhibition of her paintings featuring 28 of her personal paintings.

She was praised by the mayor for her generosity and years of faithful service to the parish.

Ultimately, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful art repair forged an improbable piece of pop culture and provided remarkable tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.