Cecilia Giménez, the artist who ‘restored’ the face of Jesus, has died at 94
Cecilia Giménez just wanted to freshen up an old painting at her church in Borja, Spain. She ended up becoming an internationally known artist.
The piece in question was a fresco by painter Elías Garcia Martínez known as Ecce Homo. It depicted a portrait of Jesus, in a red tunic with a crown of thorns on his head. By 2012, the piece was looking a little worse for wear, so Giménez took it upon herself to restore it. The result wasn’t immediately seen as an improvement, necessarily. News articles at the time said she “botched” the project, with people dubbing the new version, Ecce Mono.
The image went viral, and then became rapidly memed. Which meant the painting became way more famous thanks to Giménez. She died Monday, at the age of 94.
Borja mayor Eduardo Arillia announced the news, and the town’s city council posted a message in her honor.
While the story had a fairly happy ending, the immediate wave of criticism did affect Giménez. Local news reported at the time that she was bedridden, suffering from anxiety, and that her family was trying to get her to eat.
But eventually, Aug. 25 became a local holiday to celebrate the renewed birth of the painting.
Venezuela announces amnesty bill that could lead to release of political prisoners
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez on Friday announced an amnesty bill that could lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners detained for political reasons.
DHS keeps making false claims about people. It’s part of a broader pattern
Trump administration officials have falsely linked Alex Pretti and Renee Macklin Good to domestic terrorism. It's part of a larger pattern by the Department of Homeland Security.
Birmingham faith leaders lead community in vigil in response to ICE actions in Minnesota
Members of the Birmingham community bore the cold Friday evening in a two-hour vigil in honor of Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal immigration agents last weekend in Minnesota, and others who have died in incidents involving United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
‘Melania’ is Amazon’s airbrushed and astronomically pricey portrait of the First Lady
Amazon paid $40 million to acquire the documentary, and is spending $35 million more to promote it.
Photos: Thousands once again protest ICE in Minneapolis and across the U.S.
Demonstrators in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities participated in protests as part of a "national shutdown" to end immigration enforcement operations.
Judge rules Luigi Mangione should not face death penalty
A federal judge dropped two of the charges against Luigi Mangione — the man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — making his case no longer eligible for the death penalty.
