Brian Cowen nude portraits controversy

Two oil paintings depicting the then-Taoiseach Brian Cowen in the nude were briefly displayed in Dublin art galleries in March 2009.

Balancing a public image that ranges from fantastically intelligent analytical thinker to Big Ignorant Fucker from Offaly, the Taoiseach proves to be a challenging subject to represent.

[1][11][12] Sunday Tribune reporter Ken Foxe was contacted by a source at the National Gallery on 9 March and was the first to break the story of Cowen's portraits.

The report by Tadhg Enright displayed the paintings, obtained an appraisal of zero from an art expert, and mentioned that Cowen was "not thought to have posed for the anonymous artist".

On 24 March, the Nine O'Clock News included an apology "for any personal offence caused to Mr Cowen or his family or for any disrespect shown to the office of Taoiseach by [the prior] broadcast.

Producer Will Hanafin revealed that a friend of the artist had e-mailed photographs of a similarly styled painting to him in January, a caricature of the Taoiseach urinating in a full-frontal nude pose.

[16] Blogs and social network services such as Twitter were reported to be popular outlets for members of the general public to express their dissatisfaction at the attempted censorship and apology of RTÉ.

[16] Investigators telephoned Casby and he entered Pearse Street Garda Station where he was interviewed for two hours, admitted to having hung the two paintings and was subsequently released.

The RTÉ News report was criticised as being in bad taste by Fianna Fáil Senators Maria Corrigan and Mary O'Rourke and TDs M. J. Nolan and Michael Kennedy.

[14] Kennedy urged consideration for the feelings of Cowen's wife and children, and called on Director-General of RTÉ Cathal Goan to resign, but did not advocate charging the artist.

The station received several complaints that the report was in bad taste, including one from the government press secretary, Eoghan Ó Neachtain, who claimed he was acting on his own initiative.