One time a teacher sneaked into an Art museum to hang flattering paintings of Taoiseach at the time Brian Cowen. It took the employees an hour to realise these were not apart of an official exhibition 😂

11 comments

  1. The accompanying card read as follows

    “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.”

  5. I hate vandalism of art but this is how it’s done. Beautiful painting as well although the subject matter is anything but. If someone had painted me like this I’d want it hung up in my house. Politicians don’t view criticism the same way. They don’t view things like the same way as regular people after they have spent some time in it. It’s just a reflection on Cowen that as much as he hates to think it that he’s the very same as the rest of us at the end of the day. Not just a painting of a nude man with a big pig head. Although having said that all he seems to be missing is a curly tail.

  7. Anyone any idea where the paintings are now? Last time I tried to find information the trail stopped at a pub that’s since closed.

  8. This was Portraitgate.

    The Guards went after the artist, Conor Casby, with incitement to hatred laws, and RTÉ had to apologise to Cowen for covering the story in a humorous manner.

    For a bonus, here’s Cowen on the Jay Leno Show

    [Brian Cowen featured on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno monologue](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRZvERI5nf8)

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