Cecilia Gimenez Spanish pensioner who restored the fresco Country: Spain

Biography of Cecilia Jimenez

Cecilia Jimenez is a Spanish retiree who gained worldwide fame after she took it upon herself to "restore" the fresco "Ecce Homo" depicting Jesus Christ, created by artist Elias Garcia Martinez. Today, Cecilia is over 80 years old and had been a parishioner of the church in Borja for many years. At some point, she realized that the fresco by Elias Garcia Martinez was in a severely deteriorated condition. Taking matters into her own hands, Cecilia decided to "restore" the painting. However, her intervention resulted in a completely unrecognizable image of Jesus, resembling, according to some reports, a "plush bear" or, according to others, a "hairy monkey."

The result of Jimenez's work did not go unnoticed – the image of the "restored" Jesus became a popular internet meme, and more than 150 newspapers worldwide covered the story of her work. Tourists flocked to the church where the "fluffy Jesus" was located to see it for themselves. Interestingly, Cecilia claims that she undertook the restoration of the old fresco with the permission of the church's priest. "The priest knew! He knew!" Cecilia insists. "Just think, how could I have done this without his permission? He knew!"

After the 80-year-old Cecilia worked on Martinez's artwork, the delicate strokes of the artist were buried under a thick layer of ineptly applied paint. Cecilia herself, however, does not see anything terrible in her work, although she admits that Jesus turned out to be a little different from himself. On the whole, in her opinion, the fresco now looks much better – newer. Naturally, Cecilia Jimenez refuses to acknowledge any accusations of "defiling the image of Christ." While church officials decide what to do with the disfigured fresco, the church makes money from the influx of tourists. Interestingly, Cecilia also has financial claims against the church. She believes that due to the increased interest in the fresco after her "restoration," she deserves some financial compensation. Notably, she intends to donate this money to charity.

Meanwhile, as church officials decide whether to sue Cecilia Jimenez for vandalism and how exactly to restore the fresco and return it to its original state, an online campaign to preserve the "fluffy Jesus" has already begun. A petition in support of this cause has already been signed by tens of thousands of people. In general, Cecilia Jimenez's work has already been "appreciated" for what it is, being recognized as the "worst restoration in the history of art." Remarkably, all the fuss surrounding this event has somewhat benefited both the fresco, which was never particularly valuable, and the relatively unknown artist Elias Garcia Martinez, whose name has now become known worldwide thanks to the Spanish retiree Cecilia Jimenez.