Nude Taoiseach Art

The Guardian reports that: "Politicians are notoriously prickly when it comes to full disclosure, but Brian Cowen now has more reason than most to fear the naked truth. A portrait of the nearly nude taoiseach resting on a toilet has mysteriously appeared in one of Dublin's major art galleries, prompting a police hunt across Ireland for a Banksy-style subversive artist. Cowen, who would be the first to admit he is no oil painting, has found himself the subject of not one but two semi-naked portraits left in the Irish capital. A portrait of Cowen holding his underpants was left in the Royal Hibernian Academy, while one of the taoiseach seated on the toilet ended up in the republic's National Gallery, the latter within a stone's throw of the prime minister's office in central Dublin. The Garda Síochána (Irish police) confirmed yesterday that it is investigating who was behind leaving the nude paintings in the galleries. The National Gallery said it called in the police but could not comment further except to say that the painting had been up for no more than 20 minutes before it was taken down. "It was not authorised to be on display and the Garda are investigating," the gallery said in a statement. The Royal Hibernian Academy said it was considering whether to bring in the Garda to investigate. A woman who saw the nude at the RHA offered to buy it. "It's reasonably well painted. It's not the worst thing I've ever seen," said James O'Halloran, of Adam's Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers in Dublin. Cowen was already a visual target for Ireland's political cartoonists. In the Irish media he is often portrayed as thick-lipped, bulging out of an ill-fitting suit, his shirt poking out of his trousers and a cigarette stuck out of one of his ears". (For full source and full article click the Headline). Irish Art