Cecilia Gimenez, left, who restored a version of ‘Ecce Homo’ mural by 19th century painter Elías Garcia Martínez, died Monday.
Javier Vinuela/AP
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Javier Vinuela/AP
Cecilia Giménez just wanted to freshen up an old painting at her church in Borja, Spain. She ended up becoming an internationally known artist.
The piece in question was a fresco by painter Elías Garcia Martínez known as Ecce Homo. It depicted a portrait of Jesus, in a red tunic with a crown of thorns on his head. By 2012, the piece was looking a little worse for wear, so Giménez took it upon herself to restore it. The result wasn’t immediately seen as an improvement, necessarily. News articles at the time said she “botched” the project, with people dubbing the new version, Ecce Mono.
The image went viral, and then became rapidly memed. Which meant the painting became way more famous thanks to Giménez. She died Monday, at the age of 94.
Borja mayor Eduardo Arillia announced the news, and the town’s city council posted a message in her honor.
While the story had a fairly happy ending, the immediate wave of criticism did affect Giménez. Local news reported at the time that she was bedridden, suffering from anxiety, and that her family was trying to get her to eat.
But eventually, Aug. 25 became a local holiday to celebrate the renewed birth of the painting.
