"Cecilia, with the best intention decided to repaint the work,"
"The world knew her through this anecdote but all of us already knew the great person she was and will remain in our memory."
"I felt devastated,"
"They said it was a crazy, old woman who destroyed a portrait that was worth a lot of money."
Cecilia Giménez of Borja became internationally known in 2012 after an amateur restoration altered the 19th-century Elias Garcia Martinez fresco Ecce Homo, producing a head that resembled a hairy monkey and earning the nickname Monkey Christ. The image went viral and inspired a Twitter profile and hashtags. Giménez died aged 94. The town's mayor emphasized her 2012 notoriety and praised her character. Giménez said she felt devastated by critics who called her a crazy old woman who destroyed a valuable portrait. The incident drew over 150,000 tourists, led to a Centro de Interpretación Ecce Homo in 2016, and Giménez staged an exhibition of 28 paintings.
Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events
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