Old lady's repair job on fresco becomes unlikely tourist attraction as hundreds queue to see her handiwork
By LEON WATSON
PUBLISHED: 13:39 EST, 27 August 2012 | UPDATED: 14:41 EST, 28 August 2012
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It had been a relatively unknown piece of 19th century art, until an infamous bit of dodgy DIY made it world famous.
Now the crumbling fresco which Spanish volunteer church worker Cecilia Jimenez, 80, painted her crude rendition of Christ's face over has become a tourist attraction in its own right.
According to locals, hundreds of people have been flocking to the Sanctuary of Mercy Church in southern Spain's Aragon region to take a look at it for themselves.
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Tourists flock to see the damaged 19th century Ecce Homo fresco (right) by artist Elias Garcia Martinez at the Santuario de Misericordia de Borja Church, at Borja in Spain's Aragon region
Jimenez altered the 120-year-old fresco, Ecce Homo by Elijah Garcia Martinez, by covering it with a thick layer of paint in the belief she had permission from the local priest. But locals were horrified and when news of her 'repair' hit the headlines, she was vilified.
The image of Christ wearing a crown of thorns, displayed at the church near the city of Zaragoza, was described as resembling a monkey after her bid to restore it.
Juan Maria Ojeda, local councillor for culture, described the restoration job on the artwork in the small town of Borja as 'unspeakable'.
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And the artist's family, who had donated money for a professional restoration, also criticised the amateur job.
However, overnight interest in it exploded. The painting became an sensation when pictures of her amateur 'restoration' hit the internet and sparked a craze for copycat 'restorations', mocked-up purely for comic purposes online.
Many of Leonardo Da Vinci's most iconic creations have been given the botched restoration treatment; with the Mona Lisa's famously enigmatic smile obscured by Jimienez's work.
Before and after: Cecilia Jimenez, 80, painted her crude rendition of Christ's face (right) over Elijah Garcia Martinez's original
Borja's mayor Miguel Arilla about the Ecce Homo fresco behind him which a elderly resident damaged in attempted restoration
Borja's councilman, Leandro Galindo (centre) walks with two professional restorers to the Sanctuary of Mercy church
Jokers on the web also replaced the face of the baby in the Renaissance master's Madonna and Child with the face from the fresco, and transformed Jesus and all twelve of his apostles in The Last Supper.
A Twitter account was also set up under the name of Fresco Jesus has over 4,000 followers.
Initial reports suggested the elderly woman took it upon herself to alter the artwork - which had been damaged by moisture in the church - without asking for permission.
But the 80-year-old has since said the priest had given her the go-ahead to carry out her repair job.
Masterpieces made-over: The Mona Lisa's famous smile is hidden behind the rendition of Jesus, left, while Edvard Munch's subject really has something to scream about in this altered version of the masterpiece, right
Reworking: The handiwork of Cecilia Jiminez has made its way onto The Last Supper, by Renaissance master Leonardo Da Vinci
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-queue-old-ladys-handiwork.html#ixzz3RxUjFfuv
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