"In 2012, Gimenez, an amateur artist, decided to restore Ecce Homo, a mural by a local artist, Elias Garcia Martinez, that hung in the Santuario de Misericordia church in Borja. However, her talent as an artist was not equal to her good intentions and she produced what was described as the worst restoration in history. Amid the storm of mockery and bad publicity over what became known as the Monkey Christ, Gimenez took to her bed with an attack of anxiety, losing 17kg (37lb) in the process."
"However, she soon found that notoriety had its upside as people began bidding to buy her own art, which she sold on eBay, and she later donated the proceeds to a Catholic charity. The botched restoration became first an internet sensation and then a tourist attraction and the church began charging for admission. Ryanair laid on special flights to Zaragoza, the nearest airport, and today thousands continue to visit the village to see her work."
Cecilia Gimenez attempted in 2012 to restore a 19th-century Ecce Homo mural in the Santuario de Misericordia in Borja, producing a widely mocked result known as the Monkey Christ. The failed restoration caused her severe anxiety and marked weight loss, but also generated global attention that led to demand for her own artwork, which she sold on eBay and whose proceeds she donated to a Catholic charity. The mural became a tourist attraction, prompting paid admission and special flights to the nearest airport. The resulting income provided jobs and funded elderly care places, and inspired a 2023 opera adaptation.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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