After Complaints, Picasso Nude Is Covered Up at Edinburgh Airport

By DAVE ITZKOFF

With a presumable sigh and some acerbic remarks from a Scottish museum, the Edinburgh Airport has agreed to remove the image of a nude portrait painted by Picasso being used to advertise a local exhibition after some travelers complained about it, BBC News reported.

The painting, “Nude Woman in a Red Armchair,” appeared on a poster at the airport advertising an exhibition on Picasso and modern British art at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh. After some departing passengers expressed concerns about the picture, which offers a stylized depiction of a naked woman, the airport and the National Galleries of Scotland have agreed to put a white cover over it and replace it with a different image from the exhibition â€" though not without a rejoinder from gallery officials.

John Leighton, the director-general of the National Galleries of Scotland, told the BBC: “It is obviously bizarre that all kin ds of images of women in various states of dress and undress can be used in contemporary advertising without comment, but somehow a painted nude by one of the world's most famous artists is found to be disturbing and has to be removed.” The painting is of Marie-Thérèse Walter, Picasso's mistress and the mother of one of his daughters, Maya.

Mr. Leighton continued, “I hope that the public will come and see the real thing, which is a joyous and affectionate portrait of one of Picasso's favorite models, an image that has been shown around the world.”

A spokeswoman for the airport told the BBC, “While we considered the content of the poster appropriate for use in the airport terminal, we were happy to ask the exhibition organizers for an alternative following feedback from some of our passengers.”