Cecilia Giménez, Whose Botched Restoration Became an Icon, Dies at 94
The Spanish artist delighted the world with her intervention on a church fresco lovingly dubbed “Beast Jesus.”
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 Heraldo 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 New York Times, the wave of tourism “stabilized the town’s restaurant industry.”
By 2016, the church's souvenir shop sold merchandise, including pillows and mugs, decorated with the distorted “Monkey Christ” or “Beast Jesus” face. The charming restoration also inspired an opera recounting the saga, Halloween costumes, and countless memes.
Born in 1931, Giménez started painting in her free time. According to a wall text at the church, which describes the chaotic fresco, Giménez had previously painted mostly landscapes and performed “pictorial retouches” at religious buildings. She worked in a local bar and supported two sons, both of whom received their first communion at the church that houses the now-famous work.
In a statement, the Borja City Council characterized Giménez as “kind and compassionate.”
“She leaves behind the legacy of a strong woman, a devoted mother, a deeply resilient fighter who faced tough challenges throughout her life with truly admirable sacrifice, courage, and determination,” the statement said.
The news of Giménez's passing has prompted a wave of online tributes from around the world, another testament to the impact she had on people from all walks of life.
“Goodbye, cosmic kite, immortal goddess, spiritual guide, artistic icon,” wrote the Argentine artist Fernanda Laguna on Instagram. “I love you to infinity and beyond.”
