Spanish painter of viral 'Beast Jesus' restoration dies at 94.

5 hours ago7 min read

The art world—and the internet’s vast, meme-loving underbelly—has lost one of its most unexpectedly iconic figures. Cecilia Giménez, the Spanish amateur painter whose 2012 restoration of a fresco of Jesus Christ morphed into the viral sensation known worldwide as ‘Ecce Homo’ or, more affectionately (and brutally), ‘Beast Jesus,’ has died at the age of 94.Her passing marks the end of a chapter for a woman who, in her eighties, became an accidental global celebrity, a status born not from curated fame but from a singular, well-intentioned artistic endeavor that went spectacularly, hilariously awry. The story is pure pop culture gold, a bizarre collision of devotional art, community spirit, and the unforgiving, amplifying lens of the internet.It began in the Sanctuary of Mercy church in Borja, Spain, where a deteriorating early 20th-century fresco, ‘Ecce Homo’ by artist Elías García Martínez, had been slowly fading. Giménez, a devoted parishioner with a passion for painting, took it upon herself to restore the work, acting out of love for her church and its art.The result, however, was a transformation so drastic it defied belief: the serene, classical visage of Jesus was replaced by a fuzzy, simian-like face with misaligned eyes and a crude, boxy beard. When before-and-after photos hit the web, the reaction was instantaneous and volcanic.‘Beast Jesus’ became an overnight meme, spawning countless photoshops, parody songs, merchandise, and a tidal wave of global news coverage that oscillated between mockery and genuine fascination with how such a thing could happen. For Giménez, the initial aftermath was brutal; she faced international ridicule and even a lawsuit from the original artist’s family (later dropped), and she admitted to suffering deep distress, feeling ‘worldwide shame.’ Yet, in a twist worthy of a redemptive third act, the saga didn’t end there. The global notoriety turned the little-known church into a major tourist attraction.Visitors flocked to Borja not to see a masterpiece, but to witness the ‘Beast’ in person, generating significant revenue for the town. Giméñez, once a figure of fun, was gradually reframed as a plucky underdog, her story one of unintended consequences yielding unexpected benefits.She even received a share of the profits from the souvenir sales. Her legacy is uniquely 21st-century: a testament to how a single, localized act can be catapulted into a global narrative by digital culture, reshaping the meaning and value of art itself.Was it a restoration? A destruction? Or did it become a new, collaborative piece of internet folk art, co-created by an elderly woman in Spain and millions of online commentators? It challenges our stuffy definitions of artistic authority and value. In an era of curated Instagram perfection, ‘Beast Jesus’ was gloriously, authentically imperfect—a human error, magnified to cosmic proportions.

#Cecilia Giménez

#Beast Jesus

#art restoration

#viral meme

#obituary

#Spain

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