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The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her infamous repair job on a cherished religious painting has died at the age of 94.

The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence 13 years ago after she attempted to repaint a 100-year-old painting known as Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.

Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate.

Local Confirmation and Tribute

The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he acknowledged her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a very early age".

"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," the mayor posted.

Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to apply new paint over the original".

The Artwork's History and the Now-Infamous Intervention

The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by nineteenth-century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.

In 2012, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to do the work.

She also noted that anyone who came into the Church would have observed she was applying paint to the original image.

A Surprising Tourist Boom

The impact of the restoration led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and transformed the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a major visitor attraction.

The town, which had previously welcomed just five thousand visitors per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €50,000 for charity from the attention.

Today, local authorities say that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja every year to see the famous painting, which is now protected by a pane of glass.

Later Life and Community Support

Following the initial backlash, backed by local residents and well-wishers globally, Giménez later stage an art exhibition featuring 28 of her personal paintings.

She was commended by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and decades of dedication to the parish.

In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful art repair created an improbable piece of pop culture and provided remarkable attention and resources to a small Spanish town.