From Internet Meme to Opera: The Controversy Continues
A Failed Restoration Turns the Village into a Tourist Attraction
Cecilia Gimenez, who became the center of global controversy after transforming the face of Jesus to resemble a monkey, has passed away at the age of 94. On December 30 (local time), international media outlets including the BBC and The Guardian reported that Cecilia Gimenez, the Spanish amateur painter who became world-famous for altering the face of Jesus to look like a monkey during the restoration of a Spanish church mural, has died.
Back in 2012, Gimenez was tasked with restoring the 19th-century mural "Ecce Homo" at the Sanctuary of Misericordia church in the village of Borja, Aragon, Spain. The mural had suffered severe damage over more than a century, but the church entrusted the restoration not to a professional conservator, but to Gimenez, a devout parishioner and amateur painter.
Comparison of the original (left), damaged version (center), and the restored version (right) of "Ecce Homo" by 19th-century painter Elias Garcia Martinez. Photo by APF Yonhap News.
However, the restoration result was vastly different from the original. The face of Jesus lost its contours, with blurred eyes and mouth, and international media and social networking services harshly criticized it as "Monkey Christ" and "the worst art restoration in history." The British daily The Guardian reported that Gimenez suffered from extreme stress due to the public backlash, losing about 17 kilograms in weight.
This incident went beyond a simple mishap and sparked a debate over the desecration of religious art. Some Catholic believers were outraged, claiming that "the holy face of Jesus was defiled." The art community also criticized it as "an example of poor cultural heritage management." On the other hand, some argued that the mural was already severely damaged, and it was unfair to place all the blame on Gimenez.
Interestingly, the "failed restoration" changed the fate of the village. The awkward painting spread as an internet meme, turning the church into a world-famous tourist attraction. According to the BBC, Borja, which previously saw around 5,000 visitors annually, attracted over 40,000 tourists in 2013 alone, generating about 600,000 euros in revenue. This income was used for local charities and cultural preservation funds. The interest was so great that low-cost airline Ryanair even scheduled special flights to Zaragoza Airport near the church. Even now, visitors continue to flock to see the "Ecce Homo" mural.
The failed restoration spread as an internet meme, turning the cathedral into a world-famous tourist attraction. Even now, visitors continue to come to see the "Ecce Homo" mural. Photo by AFP Yonhap News
Over time, Gimenez chose to embrace her newfound notoriety. She signed an agreement to share copyright royalties from souvenirs and related images sold at the church, and later served in an honorary role promoting tourism for the village. Experts have stated that the mural could be technically restored to closely resemble the original, but since the painting itself has become a modern cultural icon, it has been preserved in its current state.
This incident remains a symbol of the value of art, failure, and the power of popular culture. In 2023, an opera based on this true story, "Ecce Homo," premiered in Las Vegas, United States, bringing renewed attention to the event. The life of Cecilia Gimenez, who transformed from the subject of ridicule to a symbol that revived her community, is expected to be remembered as a prime example of how, in the internet age, an individual's mistake can become a global cultural phenomenon.
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