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The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her poorly executed repair job on a valuable religious painting has died at the age of 94.

Cecilia Giménez, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she attempted to repaint a 100-year-old painting known as Ecce Homo housed within her local church.

Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", largely due to the resulting depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.

Official Announcement and Homage

The nonagenarian's passing was confirmed by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a very early age".

"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," the mayor posted.

Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to apply new paint over the original".

The Artwork's History and the Fateful Act

The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by nineteenth-century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for over a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.

In 2012, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that parishioners had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the parish priest to proceed.

She also noted that anyone who entered the church would have seen she was applying paint to the existing image.

A Surprising Economic Lifeline

The impact of the restoration led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and saw the previously sleepy town of Borja quickly become a major visitor attraction.

The municipality, which had in the past welcomed just five thousand visitors per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise more than €50,000 for charity from the attention.

Today, officials estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja every year to view the famous portrait, which is now protected by a pane of glass.

Later Life and Community Support

After recovering from the wave of criticism, backed by the townspeople and others globally, Giménez went on to stage an art exhibition showcasing twenty-eight of her own paintings.

She was commended by Borja's mayor for her generosity and decades of dedication to the church.

Ultimately, what began as a sincere but flawed art repair created an unlikely cultural icon and provided remarkable tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.