LA VANGUARDIA (Spain), CLARIN (Argentina)
An 80-year-old Spanish woman's botched restoration of a 19th-century Jesus Christ mural, which made international headlines last month, may wind up an accidental gold mine.
Lawyers for Cecilia Gimenez say their client may seek to copyright the now world-(in)famous image. While the holy (and sloppy) handiwork sparked outrage among art lovers, it also attracted a viral wave of attention.
The online fervor has translated into a steady stream of curious visitors to the Borja sanctuary that houses the disfigured Ecce Homo mural. According to Spain’s La Vanguardia newspaper, the non-profit foundation that operates the sanctuary began charging admission: 1 euro per person.
The “restored” painting – which bears a striking resemblance to a new species of monkey discovered recently in the Democratic Republic of Congo – has sparked no shortage of jokes and parodies. One bakery in Madrid decided to honor Gimenez by squirting chocolate replicas of her “artwork” on crepes.
