The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her poorly executed restoration attempt on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has passed away at the age of 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she undertook to restore a 100-year-old painting titled Ecce Homo located in her local church.
Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", largely due to the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate.
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 "great enthusiast of painting from a very early age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to repaint the work over".
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a hundred years in the Santuario de la Misericordia near Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, then 81, stated 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 artwork.
The impact of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a significant visitor attraction.
The municipality, which had in the past seen only five thousand visitors per year, attracted over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Today, local authorities say that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every year to view the notorious portrait, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.
Following the wave of criticism, backed by the townspeople and well-wishers globally, Giménez later hold an art exhibition showcasing 28 of her personal works.
She was commended by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and decades of dedication to the parish.
Ultimately, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful act of restoration created an unlikely cultural icon and provided unprecedented attention and resources to a small Spanish town.
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