Apparently the art-restorer's nemesis, 81-year-old Spanish granny Cecilia Gimenez, has demanded royalties for her now-famous reinterpretation of the 120-year-old fresco of Jesus in her local church (see my previous blog post here).
Here's the lady herself with her masterwork in a local graffiti tribute.
Apparently the whole business is causing a world-wide sensation, and a new tourist trap has been created in Zaragoza. The Sanctuary of Mercy church, where the fresco is housed, decided to charge visitors to see
the newly 'restored' painting. So big is the crowd-pulling sensation, that the church made 2,000 euros in the first 4 days.
As well as a Facebook fan page, Spanish graffiti artists The Graffiti Company have also paid tribute to Ms Gimenez by creating a mural (see above) depicting her alongside her Ecce Homo handiwork. Bizarrely, her 'restoration' has now become an artwork in its own right, to the extent that it's spawning its own artwork and reinterpretation.
The reaction is certainly nothing like Elijah Garcia Martinez (the artist of the painted-over work) ever created with his original fresco!
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