Woman behind infamous ‘Monkey Christ’ restoration dies aged 94
A parishioner whose botched restoration of a treasured Jesus Christ fresco became a viral sensation has died at the age of 94.
Cecilia Giménez triggered global headlines with her attempt to freshen up century-old the Ecce Homo (Behold the Man in Latin) in 2012.
The restoration attracted the nickname ‘Monkey Christ’ because it looked more like one of the hairy creatures than the Son of God.
However, the devotee from Borja, north-eastern Spain, weathered the backlash and became known for her generosity and dedication.
She went on to stage an art exhibition with 28 of her own paintings.
Borja’s mayor Eduardo Arilla described Giménez as a ‘great painting enthusiast from a young age’ in a Facebook post.
He paid tribute to her ‘famous restoration of Ecce Homo’ in August 2012, which ‘due to the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to repaint the work over’.
The official said that Giménez ‘adored’ the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza, in Aragon, north-eastern Spain, and praised her ‘generosity’ and ‘dedication’ which had stood out despite her hard life.
The image of Christ by 19th-century painter Elias Garcia Martinez has been held for more than 100 years at her local church.
The community stalwart was a long-time admirer of the painting and it had pained her to see it flake away over the years.
After her restoration attempt went viral, reactions included a halloween fancy dress outfit at an anime event in Atlanta and a website encouraging people to have a go at the job themselves.
In a Sky Arts documentary about artistic disasters, the amateur restorer said that her intervention was unfinished because she went on holiday.
It was also reported that she realised she was out of her depth during the project and had contacted the city council for help, albeit too late.
What is clear, however, is that Giménez acted on good intentions.
She believed that the painting, which is now behind a protective glass shield, would have disappeared long ago if it wasn’t for her and she cried after the original artist’s relatives demanded it be professionally restored.
But her retouch, which inspired a ‘Monkey Christ’ meme, attracted droves of visitors to the once quiet town and gave her a celebrity status.
More than 40,000 tourists had visited Borja to see the famous portrait by 2013 — up from just 5,000 a year, according to officials.
Between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists per year now make the trip.
Funds derived from the restoration and the sale of the artist’s own paintings have gone to a hospital foundation which provides a care home where Giménez was living at the time of her death.
She would later describe the restoration as her own miracle.
Mayor Arilla described ‘one of the most famous characters of 2012’ as ‘one more star in the sky’ after her death on Monday.
‘Rest in peace Cecilia, we will always remember you,’ he said.
MORE: Ruined Jesus fresco inspires ‘prize’ for best botched artwork
MORE: Looks like that terrible ‘Ecco Homo’ Jesus restoration has made the woman a local hero
MORE: Ruined Spanish Jesus Fresco artwork inspires Halloween costume