È morta all’età di 91 anni Cecilia Giménez, la pittrice dilettante che “pasticciò” il restauro dell’affresco “Ecce Homo”

R.I.P. The most famous Spanish painter of the 21st century

https://i.redd.it/uyo8yg22s7ag1.jpeg

Her artwork raised a fortune for her local Church, local charities and town from Tourists coming to see the ‘restoration’.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecce_Homo_(Garc%C3%ADa_Mart%C3%ADnez_and_Gim%C3%A9nez)

> The interest from tourists was such that the church began charging to see the restored fresco. In the year following the failed restoration, tourist activity generated 40,000 visits and more than €50,000 for a local charity…

> … By 2016, the number of tourists visiting the town had increased from 6,000 to 57,000 or even 200,000. In addition to spending money with local businesses, visitors have donated some €50,000 to the church. The money has been used to employ additional attendants at the church and to fund a home for retirees.

> On 16 March 2016, an interpretation centre dedicated to the artwork was opened in Borja. The €3 tickets generate over €40,000 that, among other expenses, pay €15,000 for two (some years even five) elderly people in the town home for retirees.

Spanish news reported that the painting brought in 20,000 visitors in the first week alone to this small town (Borja, in Zaragoza province), the town still gets 10,000 visitors a year to this date, putting the painting’s visitor number to date to well over 300,000 (El Mundo reported 300,000 visitors in the first 10 years). This church belongs to Sancti Spiritus Hospital Foundation which operates an elderly care home. The entry tix (now is 3 euro) goes entirely to the Sancti Spiritus Hospital Foundation and Sanctuary of Mercy, to improve its facilities and pay for the poor elderly living in this care home. Cecilia Giménez lived her final years in this care facility. El Mundo reported 450,000 euro was generated in the first 10 years from tix, image rights, sales of various items. Some local news reported that the money also funded scholarships for poor local children. The most famous Spanish painter of our time left a great legacy to her town.

Cecilia? You’re breaking my heart!

My favorite podcast about it by the art historian Tamar Avishai.

The Lonely Palette [Episode 36: Behold the Monkey](https://www.thelonelypalette.com/episode-36-behold-the-monkey)

RIP legend

Reminds me the Mr. Bean movie

[https://static.wixstatic.com/media/550773_fac8f467fcd445f0994d1f8b124b4e72~mv2.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/550773_fac8f467fcd445f0994d1f8b124b4e72~mv2.png)

It was an hilarious fuck up, but I remember watching an interview at the time where she seemed distraught about the whole thing and in particular the hate and mockery she got for it clearly got to her so I always felt a bit bad about it.

RIP legend