🔗 Share this article

The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her poorly executed restoration attempt on a cherished religious painting has passed away at the age 94.

Cecilia Giménez, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation thirteen 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", because the resulting depiction of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate.

Local Confirmation and Homage

The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he described her as a "great lover of painting from a very early age".

"Descansa en paz Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," the mayor posted.

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 was in, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to repaint the work over".

The Artwork's Background and the Now-Infamous Act

The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for over a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.

At the time, Giménez, then 81, stated that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to do the work.

She also noted that anybody who came into the Church would have seen she was applying paint to the existing artwork.

An Unexpected Economic Lifeline

The aftermath of the restoration led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and saw the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant visitor attraction.

The town, which had in the past seen only five thousand visitors per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the interest.

Today, officials say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every year to see the notorious portrait, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.

Later Life 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 featuring 28 of her personal paintings.

She was praised by the mayor for her kind-hearted nature and decades of faithful service to the church.

Ultimately, what began as a sincere but flawed act of restoration forged an improbable piece of pop culture and provided remarkable attention and resources to a small Spanish town.