Painter Behind Viral ‘Beast Jesus’ Paintnig Restoration Dies at 94

Spanish amateur painter Cecilia Giménez Zueco has died at the age of 94. She ruined an attempt to restore the town’s mural and became a global phenomenon.

Jimenez, a lifelong resident of Borja in the province of Zaragoza, unexpectedly gained international fame after she attempted a revival in 2012. Eche peoplea 1930 devotional mural by Elías García Martínez. Her well-intentioned but unsanctioned intervention to transform Christ’s face into the ape that many describe online inspired a series of memes, jokes and a dedicated parody Twitter account that renamed the work Eche Monod as Look at that monkey. Today, the painting is colloquially known as beast jesus.

While initially derided as a fiasco, the incident brought unprecedented attention to Borja. The church that housed the mural became a tourist magnet, and over time Jimenez received her unexpected share of celebrity. She exhibited her paintings and watched her name become synonymous with failed restorations everywhere.

Her restorations have since gone on to become an unusual form of inspiration, leading to the creation of music videos, operas, and even documentaries in response to the painting and the controversy surrounding it.

Borja Mayor Eduardo Arilla paid tribute to her in a Facebook post, calling her “one of the town’s most beloved residents” and praising her “boundless generosity” for bringing an influx of visitors to the community.

Jimenez’s transformation from local amateur to global pop culture figure remains one of the art world’s strangest and most enduring viral legends.