Brian Cowen nude portraits controversy
Encyclopedia
Two oil painting
s depicting Brian Cowen
, then-Taoiseach
(prime minister) of Ireland
, in the nude
, were briefly displayed in Dublin art galleries in March 2009 as an act of guerilla art
. The subsequent reactions of the media, the Garda Síochána
(the Irish police
force), and politicians have fed together into a sustained controversy nicknamed Portraitgate.
. The first portrait was surreptitiously hung in the National Gallery of Ireland
on 7 March 2009. Casby is said to have entered the National Gallery carrying a shoulder bag, and located a free space for his portrait and its caption among other portraits of prominent Irish people such as Michael Collins
, William Butler Yeats
, and Bono
. Casby then left the building unnoticed by security. The caption which was placed beneath the portrait alluded to Cowen's nickname, "Biffo" (Big ignorant fucker from Offaly
), and his time as Ireland's Minister for Finance
. It was reported as having read:
The National Gallery called gardaí after it discovered the unauthorised painting. It has claimed that it had been hanging in public view for no more than twenty minutes before it was removed, contradicting the Sunday Tribune
s claim that it hung for over an hour.
The following day, 8 March, Casby hung a second painting of Cowen in the Royal Hibernian Academy
(RHA). A woman attempted to buy the RHA portrait before it was removed.
Both paintings depict Cowen from the waist up, wearing his glasses. In the RHA painting, he is holding a pair of blue and white underpants in his left hand. In the other, he is clutching a toilet roll
.
photographs of the paintings on display. The incidents were first reported in the Tribune of 22 March.
ran a report on the hangings at the end of the Nine O'Clock News
. 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". The report was not used on subsequent newscasts. 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." The original item was removed from the online archives at RTÉ.ie
, and the apology added.
on commercial radio station Today FM
, covered the story. 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. This painting has not been displayed publicly. A Garda detective visited the station requesting the emails. The Garda was said to have been "sheepish and apologetic" about the visit but indicated that he had received an order from "on high" to initiate an investigation. Hanafin refused to comply with the Garda request and, being told that a search warrant
would be sought, labelled the entire affair as "crazy".
of London
.
s and social network service
s 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. A YouTube
video of the original RTÉ news report had received more than three thousand views within twenty-four hours. The affair has been nicknamed "Picturegate" and "Cowengate" in online discussions.
, incitement to hatred, and criminal damage for nailing the painting to the wall (though it has also been reported that paintings were hung without the use of nails) 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. He gave gardaí five more portraits of other politicians, including Michael McDowell
. A file was prepared for the director of public prosecutions, but it is expected that no charges will be brought. Casby expressed his desire to "draw an end" to the matter by auctioning the paintings for charity.
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
. Fine Gael
TD Michael W. D'Arcy called it the "most distasteful report I have seen on RTÉ in years". 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.
Some suggested the government had put pressure on RTÉ to withdraw the report and apologise, or on Today FM to cooperate with the Garda. 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. Fine Gael
's Enda Kenny
and Charles Flanagan
called it a restriction on freedom of expression
.
Liz McManus
of the Labour Party
criticised RTÉ for "bow[ing] to political pressure". RTÉ claimed the decision to withdraw the report was taken by RTÉ executives, and that Ó Neachtain's complaint was received after the late-night News on Two
had already been broadcast without the report.
Some criticised the Garda investigation as a waste of resources. Frances FitzGerald
said it was "over the top"; Rónán Mullen
defended it as appropriate. Labour's Joan Burton
said "While I sympathise with the Taoiseach and his family, the public has noticed that it took gardaí six months to go into the Anglo Irish Bank
."
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
s depicting Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
, then-Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
(prime minister) of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, in the nude
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
, were briefly displayed in Dublin art galleries in March 2009 as an act of guerilla art
Street art
Street art is any art developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives...
. The subsequent reactions of the media, the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
(the Irish police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
force), and politicians have fed together into a sustained controversy nicknamed Portraitgate.
Portraits
The artist, initially unidentified, was eventually revealed to be Conor Casby, a school teacher in his thirties from Claremorris, County MayoCounty Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
. The first portrait was surreptitiously hung in the National Gallery of Ireland
National Gallery of Ireland
The National Gallery of Ireland houses the Irish national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on Clare Street. It was founded in 1854 and opened its doors ten years later...
on 7 March 2009. Casby is said to have entered the National Gallery carrying a shoulder bag, and located a free space for his portrait and its caption among other portraits of prominent Irish people such as Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
, William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
, and Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
. Casby then left the building unnoticed by security. The caption which was placed beneath the portrait alluded to Cowen's nickname, "Biffo" (Big ignorant fucker from Offaly
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
), and his time as Ireland's Minister for Finance
Minister for Finance (Ireland)
The Minister for Finance is the title held by the Irish government minister responsible for all financial and monetary matters. The office-holder controls the Department of Finance and is considered one of the most important members of the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Finance is...
. It was reported as having read:
Brian Cowen, Politician 1960–2008. This portrait, acquired uncommissioned by the National Gallery, celebrates one of the finest politicians produced by Ireland since the foundation of the state. Following a spell at the helm of the Department of Finance during a period of unprecedented prosperity, Brian Cowen inherited the office of Taoiseach in 2008. 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.
The National Gallery called gardaí after it discovered the unauthorised painting. It has claimed that it had been hanging in public view for no more than twenty minutes before it was removed, contradicting the Sunday Tribune
Sunday Tribune
The Sunday Tribune was an Irish Sunday broadsheet newspaper published by Tribune Newspapers plc. It was edited in its final years by Nóirín Hegarty, who changed both the tone and the physical format of the newspaper from broadsheet to tabloid. Former editors include Conor Brady, Vincent Browne,...
s claim that it hung for over an hour.
The following day, 8 March, Casby hung a second painting of Cowen in the Royal Hibernian Academy
Royal Hibernian Academy
The Royal Hibernian Academy is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823.-History:The RHA was founded as the result of 30 Irish artists petitioning the government for a charter of incorporation...
(RHA). A woman attempted to buy the RHA portrait before it was removed.
Both paintings depict Cowen from the waist up, wearing his glasses. In the RHA painting, he is holding a pair of blue and white underpants in his left hand. In the other, he is clutching a toilet roll
Toilet paper
Toilet paper is a soft paper product used to maintain personal hygiene after human defecation or urination. However, it can also be used for other purposes such as blowing one's nose when one has a cold or absorbing common spills around the house, although paper towels are more used for the latter...
.
Media reports
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. Subsequently, "Topsy Campbell" (a pseudonym for Casby) sent camera phoneCamera phone
A camera phone is a mobile phone which is able to capture still photographs . Since early in the 21st century the majority of mobile phones in use are camera phones....
photographs of the paintings on display. The incidents were first reported in the Tribune of 22 March.
RTÉ
On 23 March, state broadcaster RTÉRaidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
ran a report on the hangings at the end of the Nine O'Clock News
RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock
RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock is the flagship evening news programme for Irish television channel RTÉ One. It is presented by Anne Doyle, and deputised by Eileen Dunne. It is the final comprehensive news programme of the day on RTÉ One...
. 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". The report was not used on subsequent newscasts. 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." The original item was removed from the online archives at RTÉ.ie
Rte.ie
RTÉ.ie is the brand name and home of RTÉ's online activities, located at the URL http://rte.ie. The site began publishing on 26 May 1996. According to RTÉ, it operates on an entirely commercial basis, receiving none of the licence fee which funds much of RTÉ's activity. The site, it says, is funded...
, and the apology added.
Today FM
On 24 March, The Ray D'Arcy ShowThe Ray D'Arcy Show
The Ray D'Arcy Show is Today FM's weekday mid-morning radio show presented by Ray D'Arcy. It is on air from 09:00–12:00 midday, competing with RTÉ 2fm's Ryan Tubridy, RTÉ Radio 1's Pat Kenny and Newstalk's Tom Dunne .The production team of Jenny Kelly, Will Hanafin and Mairead Farrell and...
on commercial radio station Today FM
Today FM
Radio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station which is available nationally. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk...
, covered the story. Producer Will Hanafin
Will Hanafin
William 'Will' Hanafin is an Irish journalist, a researcher, television producer and radio presenter from Youghal, County Cork. He can currently be heard on The Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM, largely in the background offering advice to listeners but he sometimes presents the show solo. He has been...
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. This painting has not been displayed publicly. A Garda detective visited the station requesting the emails. The Garda was said to have been "sheepish and apologetic" about the visit but indicated that he had received an order from "on high" to initiate an investigation. Hanafin refused to comply with the Garda request and, being told that a search warrant
Search warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
would be sought, labelled the entire affair as "crazy".
Abroad
The incident has been covered by foreign newspapers, including The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Online
BlogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s and social network service
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
s such as Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
were reported to be popular outlets for members of the general public to express their dissatisfaction at the attempted censorship and apology of RTÉ. A YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video of the original RTÉ news report had received more than three thousand views within twenty-four hours. The affair has been nicknamed "Picturegate" and "Cowengate" in online discussions.
Garda investigation
The Garda investigation was said to have taken six hours. The possible crimes were offending decencyDecency
Decency is the quality or state of conforming to social or moral standards of taste and propriety.-See also:*Taste *Communications Decency Act*Public indecency*Indecent exposure*Sodomy law*Norm *Grotesque body...
, incitement to hatred, and criminal damage for nailing the painting to the wall (though it has also been reported that paintings were hung without the use of nails) 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. He gave gardaí five more portraits of other politicians, including Michael McDowell
Michael McDowell
Michael McDowell is a Senior Counsel in the Bar Council of Ireland and a former politician. A grandson of Irish revolutionary Eoin MacNeill, McDowell was a founding member of the Progressive Democrats political party in the mid-1980s...
. A file was prepared for the director of public prosecutions, but it is expected that no charges will be brought. Casby expressed his desire to "draw an end" to the matter by auctioning the paintings for charity.
Political reaction
The incidents attracted comment from politicians.The RTÉ News report was criticised as being in bad taste by Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
Senators
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
Maria Corrigan
Maria Corrigan
Maria Corrigan is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician, who was a member of Seanad Éireann from 2007 to 2011.She was a county councillor on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for the Glencullen area from 1999 to 2007...
and Mary O'Rourke
Mary O'Rourke
Mary O'Rourke is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. She is a former Teachta Dála for the Longford–Westmeath and Westmeath constituencies. She served as Minister for Education , Minister for Health and Minister for Public Enterprise...
and TDs
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
M. J. Nolan
M. J. Nolan
M. J. Nolan is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He served as a Teachta Dála for the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency from 1982–97 and 2002–11....
and Michael Kennedy
Michael Kennedy (Dublin politician)
Michael Kennedy is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician.He served as a member of Fingal County Council from 1991–2007, and was Mayor in 2002–03. He was an Insurance broker before entering politics....
. Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
TD Michael W. D'Arcy called it the "most distasteful report I have seen on RTÉ in years". Kennedy urged consideration for the feelings of Cowen's wife and children, and called on Director-General of RTÉ
Director-General of RTÉ
The Director-General of Raidió Teilifís Éireann is chief executive and editor in chief of RTÉ. The current Director-General is Noel Curran, and is the most senior person in the Public Service Broadcaster, Noel Curran replaced Cathal Goan in the role in February 2011.The RTÉ Board appoints the...
, Cathal Goan
Cathal Goan
Cathal Goan is a radio and television producer. He played a main role in the launch of TG4. He was appointed Director-General of RTÉ in 2003, announcing his departure in 2010....
, to resign, but did not advocate charging the artist.
Some suggested the government had put pressure on RTÉ to withdraw the report and apologise, or on Today FM to cooperate with the Garda. 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. Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
's Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
and Charles Flanagan
Charles Flanagan
Charles "Charlie" Flanagan is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Laois–Offaly constituency....
called it a restriction on freedom of expression
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
.
Liz McManus
Liz McManus
Elizabeth "Liz" McManus is a former Irish politician. She served as a Teachta Dála for the Wicklow constituency from 1992 to 2011.-Personal life:...
of the Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
criticised RTÉ for "bow[ing] to political pressure". RTÉ claimed the decision to withdraw the report was taken by RTÉ executives, and that Ó Neachtain's complaint was received after the late-night News on Two
RTÉ News on Two
RTÉ News on Two is RTÉ's late evening news programme. The program is broadcast Monday-Thursday on the Irish RTÉ Two TV channel. It does not have a regular time slot, but is usually broadcast at some point between 22:45 and 23:30. It runs for 22 minutes....
had already been broadcast without the report.
Some criticised the Garda investigation as a waste of resources. Frances FitzGerald
Frances Fitzgerald (Irish politician)
Frances Fitzgerald is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and is the current Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. She has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin Mid West constituency since February 2011...
said it was "over the top"; Rónán Mullen
Rónán Mullen
Rónán Thomas Mullen is an independent Irish Senator and delegate to the Council of Europe. He was elected in the National University of Ireland Seanad constituency in July 2007 and re-elected for a second term in 2011. Mullen is a frequent media commentator on social and political topics...
defended it as appropriate. Labour's Joan Burton
Joan Burton
Joan Burton is an Irish Labour Party politician and the current Minister for Social Protection. She is a Teachta Dála for the Dublin West constituency....
said "While I sympathise with the Taoiseach and his family, the public has noticed that it took gardaí six months to go into the Anglo Irish Bank
Anglo Irish Bank hidden loans controversy
The Anglo Irish Bank hidden loans controversy began in the Republic of Ireland in December 2008 when the chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, Ireland's third largest bank, admitted he had hidden a total of €87 million in loans from the bank, triggering a series of incidents which led to the eventual...
."
External links
- The two paintings (JPEGJPEGIn computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
s from the Sunday Tribune article): - RTÉ.ieRte.ieRTÉ.ie is the brand name and home of RTÉ's online activities, located at the URL http://rte.ie. The site began publishing on 26 May 1996. According to RTÉ, it operates on an entirely commercial basis, receiving none of the licence fee which funds much of RTÉ's activity. The site, it says, is funded...
's withdrawal of the portraits: Altered captions Removal - RTÉ.ie's report which fuelled the controversy
- RTÉ's television apology to the TaoiseachTaoiseachThe Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
- Video of Vincent BrowneVincent BrowneVincent Browne is an Irish print and broadcast journalist. He is a columnist with The Irish Times and The Sunday Business Post and a part time barrister....
's discussion on TV3TV3 IrelandTV3 is a free-to-air commercial television network in the Republic of Ireland. Launched on 20 September 1998 it was Ireland's first commercial broadcaster. The channel is owned by TV3 Group a subsidiary of Doughty Hanson & Co.-The TV3 Group:...
– 25 March 2009
