Spanish-born Woman Who Gained Fame for Botching a Famous Painting Repair Dies at the Age of 94

The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her infamous repair job on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age 94.

The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she attempted to restore a 100-year-old fresco titled Ecce Homo housed within her local church.

Giménez's handiwork spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", largely due to the altered depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.

Official Confirmation and Homage

The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he acknowledged her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a young age".

"Descansa en paz Cecilia, we will always remember you," the mayor posted.

Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "due to the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to apply new paint over the original".

The Painting's History and the Now-Infamous Intervention

The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.

In 2012, Giménez, then 81, explained 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 anyone who came into the Church would have observed she was painting over the existing artwork.

A Surprising Tourist Boom

The aftermath of the repaint job spawned the "Ecce Mono" meme and saw the previously sleepy town of Borja quickly become a major tourist destination.

The municipality, which had previously seen only 5,000 tourists per year, received over 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 notorious portrait, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.

Legacy and Community Admiration

After recovering from the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and others around the world, Giménez later hold an art exhibition featuring twenty-eight of her personal works.

She was praised by the mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of dedication to the parish.

In the end, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful art repair forged an unlikely cultural icon and provided remarkable attention and resources to a small Spanish town.