Botched Jesus painting boosts Spanish town’s tourism

The famous ‘Beast Jesus’ painting that was not-so-carefully restored by part-time curator Cecilia Giménez in 2012 made headlines around the world at the time, but the curiously smudged artwork has now become a tourist attraction in its own right.

Art lovers, critics and people on the look out for a good laugh have descended on the village of Borja in their thousands to gawp at the restored 120-year-old painting…

Such have been the numbers of visitors flocking to see the picture (official title: Ecco Homo or ‘Behold The Man’) that the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercy church in which it resides has begun charging visitors €1 each to see it.

The original painting was drawn by Zaragozan art professor Elias García Martínez 120 years ago, but decades of neglect had left it looking forlorn and dishevelled.

Apparently with the blessing of the local priest, pensioner Giménez set to work on touching-up the fresco but succeeded in merely ruining much of the detail and, well, likeness of Jesus.

Indeed, many Spaniards have likened the new paint job as something more akin to a hedgehog or a monkey than Jesus. But – the art world being the art world – this painting is now more famous than the original, untouched version and, as such, has drawn more than 150,000 tourists since the story broke.

At the time, Giménez told Spanish TV that she had permission to carry out the work and that her intentions were good. “How could I do something like that without permission?” she said. “I did not do it in secret. Anybody who entered the church was able to see me painting.

“I had nothing but good intentions and always believed I was doing the right thing. Besides, I hadn’t finished the painting!”

The tale did not end there, of course, and soon images of Giménez’s handiwork were being beamed across the globe. But rather than this twist of fate potentially turning cruel, the infamy has actually been good for the church, the village and the pensioner.

As well as increased visitor numbers, Giménez herself has been commissioned to design logos for the local winery, while the ‘Beast Jesus’ face is now plastered across the village’s lottery tickets.

And while the grandchildren of the original artist’s work have been up in arms about what they claim was the destruction of an original, professional art historians have studied the painting and confirmed that the original fresco was so neglected that it would have been impossible to restore.

Hence, Giménez’s artwork is in fact considered a ‘new piece’ – and has gone on to become one of the most recognisable paintings in the world.