Infamous ‘Ecce Homo’ restoration granny demands royalty money
The Ecce Homo painting before and after seen here.
Cecilia Giménez, the elderly Spanish woman internationally renowned as the World's Worst Art Restorer, is now looking to cash in on her not inconsiderable fame.
The 80-year-old decided to restore a lovely 19th century rendering of Ecce Homo at the Sanctuary of Mercy church in Borga, a town in northeastern Spain, after noticing that the original Elias Garcia Martinez painting was suffering from water damage.
And she botched it, botched it to an extent that simultaneously shocked and amused the living hell out of the world. (Prompting some to call her an artistic genius in her own right).
The Guardian reports that the painting has become a tourist attraction in Borga, with tourists shelling out $3 a pop to marvel at just how badly one can muck up a painting of Jesus.
Read more from GlobalPost: Elderly woman ruins Ecce Homo painting by attempting to restore it
The Spanish paper El Correo reports that the sanctuary containing the painting is owned by the Santi Spiritus Hospital Foundation, which only very recently decided to start charging admission.
Giménez wants some of the profits the church is garnering from its unexpected fame, although the Guardian reports that her motives are pure: she wants to donate the money to charities that support people suffering from muscular dystrophy, as her son is afflicted with the condition.
Both Giménez and Santi Spiritus have hired lawyers, reports El Correo, in what is likely to be one of the most hilariously weird legal battles in recent Spanish history.
Read more from GlobalPost: Art world rejoices over 'botched' restoration
Although Giménez is seeking profit from her mistake, she's not exactly escaping scot-free: the National Post reports she has suffered from panic attacks and does not like to leave the house since she attained entirely unexpected Internet infamy.
Does Giménez deserve to be the well compensated and un-challenged queen of the bad art world? Especially if it's for a good cause? (Though she might want to spend some of the lucre on art lessons.)
Tell us what you think.