Cecilia Gimenez's abominable restoration of the Ecce Homo fresco last year may have been the worst thing to happen to art but the best thing to happen to Borja, Spain, the painting's hometown. Since Gimenez's touch-up (and subsequent meme explosion and SNL skit), "Beast Jesus" has become a hot tourist attraction, bringing in 40,000 visitors and over $66,285 for charity.
Seeing this as an opportunity to bring in more money for her hometown, Gimenez and the town's local council are gearing up to sing a merchandizing deal. Gimenez will get 49% of the profits, and the town will get the rest. This means Beast Jesus T-shirts, Beast Jesus coffee mugs, Beast Jesus key chains, and Beast Jesus post-cards. This means Beast Jesus everything.
Even though she was an international laughing stock last year, Gimenez sold a painting on eBay in December and even launched a local art show recently. "Now it seems like everyone's happy," she told the Heraldo de Aragon in Spanish on Sunday. "I'm grateful that things have quieted down."
[via SF Gate]
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