🔗 Share this article Spanish Parishioner Who Gained Notoriety for Mishandling a Prized Painting Restoration Has Died at the Age of 94 The restoration of the century-old painting. The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her infamous repair job on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age of 94. The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she attempted to restore a century-old painting titled Ecce Homo located in her local church. Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", largely due to the altered likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey. Local Confirmation and Homage The nonagenarian's passing was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "passionate lover of painting from a young age". "Rest in peace Cecilia, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote. Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "because of the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to repaint the work over". The Artwork's History and the Now-Infamous Act The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a hundred years in the Santuario de la Misericordia near Zaragoza. At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that church members had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to proceed. She also noted that anybody who came into the church would have seen she was applying paint to the original artwork. An Unexpected Economic Lifeline The aftermath of the repaint job spawned the "Ecce Mono" meme and saw the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a major tourist destination. The municipality, which had in the past seen only five thousand visitors per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the interest. Today, officials estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every year to view the notorious painting, which is now protected by a pane of glass. Legacy and Local Admiration Following the initial backlash, with support from local residents and well-wishers around the world, Giménez went on to hold an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her personal works. She was commended by the mayor for her generosity and decades of faithful service to the parish. In the end, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful act of restoration forged an improbable cultural icon and provided unprecedented attention and resources to a small Spanish town.