A Leonardo Da Vinci masterpiece has had his genitals removed for Winter Olympics coverage.
Considered one of the most iconic images in Western civilisation, Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man is his representation of the ideal human form.
However, his genitals have been censored by Rai, Italy’s national broadcaster, in a move blasted as “unacceptable”.
The iconic image has had his penis and testicles removed in the opening titles of the broadcaster’s coverage of the Milano-Cortina games.
That caught the attention of the Corriere della Sera newspaper, which asked readers: “What happened to Vitruvian Man’s genitals?”
Critics compared Rai to the “ayatollahs” of Iran, with the Five Star Movement party jabbing: “Evidently the directors of Rai fear that a penis could upset people.”
The Democratic Party, Italy’s main political opposition, said it intended to file a question in Parliament to Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli as a result.
The party is seeking answers as to whether Rai had obtained permission to alter “this extraordinary artwork, a masterpiece that is part of the world’s heritage”.
The censored Vitruvian man, which RAI claims was provided by Olympic Broadcasting Services
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RAI
The party said: “The Vitruvian Man is not just any image – it is one of the most acclaimed symbols of art and Italian genius
“This a clear affront and someone has, for sure, made an error.”
The party’s Irene Manzi said the censored artwork was “incomprehensible and unacceptable”.
The artwork had been “humiliated and impoverished” by the alterations, she added.
LATEST FROM THE WINTER GAMES:
PICTURED: The uncensored, original version of Leonardo Da Vinci’s iconic artwork
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PUBLIC DOMAIN
Rai said the row over Italy’s historic artwork was more “fake news” – and blamed Olympics chiefs instead.
In a statement, the broadcaster said the artwork was part of a graphics package provided by the International Olympic Committee’s production arm, the Olympic Broadcasting Services.
It said the graphic had been “provided in an identical manner to all rights-holding broadcasters worldwide, who are obliged to broadcast it according to shared international standards”.
The Olympic Broadcasting Services said the graphic was intended to honour Da Vinci.
It said: “With regard to the Vitruvian Man, this is intended as an homage to the original drawing rather than a direct reproduction.”
The Olympic Broadcasting Services said it had obtained clearance from both the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, where the original is kept, and Italy’s Ministry of Culture.
Rai has also been criticised for its opening ceremony coverage, with commentator Paolo Petrecca introducing viewers to the wrong stadium, and mistaking Mariah Carey for an Italian actress.
This is the second phallic incident this Olympics, with a cheating row sparked by ski jumpers potentially injecting themselves with a chemical to improve their aerodynamics – leading to an investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
