The amateur Spanish artist who made worldwide headlines for botching the restoration of a prized painting of Jesus — earning it the nickname “Monkey Christ” — has died at 94.
Cecilia Gimenez passed away Monday in her hometown of Borja in northeastern Spain, Mayor Eduardo Arilla announced on Facebook..
Gimenez became infamous in 2012 when she restored “Ecco Homo,” a deteriorating fresco by Elias Garcia Martinez that had hung at the Sanctuary Mercy Church near Zaragoza for almost 100 years.
The final result drew worldwide ridicule, with the famed work mockingly dubbed “Monkey Christ” because Jesus ended up resembling more of an ape than the messiah.
But the messed-up masterpiece also became a sensation and turned the tiny town of Borja into a bustling tourist attraction, with more than 40,000 yearly visitors by 2013 in a town used to about 5,000 annual tourists, according to the BBC.
To this day, as many as 20,000 people visit annually to gape at the fresco, the outlet said.
The tiny town even celebrated the 10th anniversary of the restoration blunder in 2022.
“The world came to know her through this charming anecdote, but we all already knew what a wonderful person she was, and we will cherish the memory of an affable woman and a great lover of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy, where she spent long periods with her family,” Arilla wrote of Gimenez on Facebook.
“Kind and benevolent, she leaves behind the legacy of a strong woman, a devoted mother, and a deeply resilient individual who faced difficult challenges throughout her life with truly admirable sacrifice, courage, and determination,” the mayor said.
Gimenez was born in the Spanish town Jan. 23, 1931, and was a lover of art despite her infamous fail at restoration of “Ecco Homo,” which translates to “Behold the Man.”
Her cause of death was not revealed.
“We will always remember you,” Arilla said. “Rest in peace, dear Cecilia.”
