In August, an 80-year old woman named Cecilia Gímenez stunned the art world with her unique restoration of “Ecce Homo” a fresco by 19th-century Spanish artist Elias Garcia Martinez, at the church of Santuario de la Misericordia in the town of Borja northeastern Spain. Unfortunately for Gímenez, in this case “stunned” was not a positive attribute. Gímenez had managed to transform the austere depiction of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns into what Newsfeed described as “a hairy monkey wearing a baggy velvet suit and sporting what seems to be a rolled-up carpet for an arm.” It’s been dubbed “the worst restoration in history”.
(MORE: Worst. Restoration. Ever. Elderly Woman Botches Touch-Up Job on 19th Century Church Fresco)
CUADRO DE Cecilia Giménez Restaurado del Ecce Homo
If you wish to bid, the auction is open until Dec. 18 and profits from the sale of the painting will not go to Gímenez herself, according to The Guardian, but to the Roman Catholic charity Caritas. Gímenez is not the only one trying to leverage her fame. The church that houses the now infamous “Ecce Homo” has started charging visitors and, according to The Guardian, raised more than $2,500 in the first week.
MORE: The Ecce Homo Dilemma: Spain Puzzles over an Art Disaster Gone Viral