Artist behind Cowen nudes turns himself in

An artist who painted unflattering nude portraits of Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen mysteriously hung on the walls of two Dublin art galleries has turned himself in to police, Irish media reported Thursday.

A spokesman for the Garda (police) confirmed that the matter was under investigation but did not provide any further details, while local Irish media reported that it was unlikely 35-year-old Conor Casby would be charged.

Casby voluntarily presented himself at a police station in Dublin, the Irish Times reported, adding that he had painted several other such pictures of other Irish politicians, including former prime minister Bertie Ahern.

One of the portraits, hung up without approval at the Royal Hibernian Academy, portrayed Cowen fully naked holding a pair of blue underpants in one hand, with the painting cutting off at his waist.

The other, hung at the Irish National Gallery, showed the premier sitting on a toilet with a roll of toilet paper in his hand.

Both galleries, which are a short walk from the offices of the Taoiseach (prime minister), took the pictures down as soon as they were alerted to them.

In a statement to Irish media, Casby confirmed he had painted the pictures, saying he had intended they be an anonymous and a not-for-profit commentary on the use of the modern media.

He added that he had planned to auction the paintings with the proceeds going to charity.

Public broadcaster RTE, meanwhile, publicly apologised to the prime minister and his family for any offence caused over a news report on the subject broadcast on television and on its Internet website.