Famous Botched Painting 'Monkey Christ' Attracts Hundreds of Thousands to Spanish Church
The now world-famous botched fresco restoration of Jesus Christ in the northern Spanish town of Borja has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors, Mayor Eduardo Arilla has said, revealing that the painting is to be featured at a new center.
"It's to give the painting a new impetus," Arilla told The Associated Press about placing the "Ecce Homo" ("Behold the Man") painting at a new center, which will also feature official merchandise, from T-shirts to teacups.
Arilla said that close to 160,000 people have come to the small town to see the restoration of a Christ painting by Cecilia Gimenez, which was fist displayed and went viral in 2012.
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The story goes that the artist, now 85-years-old, attempted in 2012 to restore a fresco of Christ at the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza, where it had been for decades, but produced an unfinished version which many observers say holds barely any resemblance to the original, with some dubbing the painting "Monkey Christ."
The 5,000-population town gained worldwide fame and was visited by tens of thousands of visitors interested in having a look at the curious "restoration" themselves, which initially raised more tan $66,000 for a local charity.
Arilla said that he hopes the new center will continue to attract up to 30,000 visitors annually, with the proceeds to be split between Gimenez and the sanctuary's home for retirees.
The new center will feature photos and videos displaying the impact that the restoration has had on the town, and there will be canvases for visitors who want to try and paint their own version of "Ecce Homo."
The original painting shows Jesus with a crown of thorns and is credited to a minor Spanish artist by the name of Elias Garcia Martinez close to 100 years ago.
"I thought I knew how to restore it," Gimenez explained in a documentary about the restoration, according to the Daily Mail. "But the paint ran."
She revealed that since the restoration of the painting had been taking her longer than expected, at one point she decided to take a break and go on holiday.
"So it was unfinished. I hadn't had time to finish the correction on the face," she explained, but she never had the chance to complete it when she returned.
Gimenez said back in 2013 that she is happy with the attention her attempt at the restoration had received for the town.
"Now it seems like everyone's happy," she told a local paper back then. "I'm grateful that things have quieted down."
The elderly woman reportedly attended the unveiling of the new center in Borja on Wednesday.
