"Cecilia Giménez with her restoration of "Ecce Homo" in 2013 (photo by Fabián Simón ARCHDC/Alamy) Cecilia Giménez, an amateur Spanish artist most widely known for her errant restoration of a 20th-century fresco that became a viral tourist attraction, has died at the age of 94. Eduardo Arilla, the mayor of the northeastern Spanish town of Borja, confirmed her passing to the local publication yesterday, December 29. Giménez had been living in a nursing home in Borja, according to the publication."
"In 2012, with permission from a local priest at the Santuario de Misericordia church, Giménez attempted to restore a fresco depicting Jesus Christ painted by Elías García Martínez titled "Ecce Homo." The result of Giménez's work, a cartoonish distortion of the faded original, was initially considered to be a failure. Upon completion, town officials initially suspected the fresco had been vandalized and reportedly considered taking legal action against the artist."
"But any contempt toward Giménez quickly faded when the image began circulating online, delighting netizens who saw it less as a botched restoration than as an original artwork in its own right. The work brought an onslaught of new visitors to her tiny town of nearly 5,000, and according to reporting by the , the wave of tourism "stabilized the town's restaurant industry.""
Cecilia Giménez was an amateur Spanish artist and conservator who gained international attention after attempting to restore a 20th-century fresco titled 'Ecce Homo' in 2012. The intervention produced a cartoonish distortion of the original depiction of Jesus Christ painted by Elías García Martínez. Initial reactions in Borja included suspicion of vandalism and considerations of legal action. The altered image circulated online and rapidly became a viral phenomenon, attracting tourists and stabilizing the town's restaurant industry. By 2016 the church sold merchandise featuring the distorted face, which inspired costumes, memes, and cultural interest. Giménez died at age 94 while living in a Borja nursing home.
Read at Hyperallergic
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