A religious work of art has been removed from an Italian basilica after a local priest and the businessman who commissioned the painting were found among the holy images.

The painting was gifted to the cathedral of Canosa in Puglia, southern Italy, but caused controversy upon further inspection.

The image featured the boss of the charity which commissioned the £17,000 painting of St Sabinus meeting St Benedict, as well as the priest who runs the cathedral.

Artist wanted to portray ‘two authoritative representatives’ of community

People shared their own reproductions of the artwork online featuring other famous faces inserted on to the canvas.

Giuseppe Antonio Lomuscio, the artist behind the painting, told local media that he claims “full autonomy in my interpretive choices”.

He said his choice of the subjects represented in the composition was the “result of a free artistic interpretation dictated by the need to tell the story of devotion to the Saints”.

Italian woman’s body ‘found sitting at a table in her home’ two years after she died

Sergio Mattarella: Italian president secures re-election that will keep him in post until he’s 87

Silvio Berlusconi: Could the controversial leader really become the next Italian president?

Mr Lomuscio said he had decided to portray “two authoritative representatives” of the local community.

Artwork will be revised

He said during the process they had both asked not to be portrayed.

But it seems he tried to make them less evident by adding a COVID face mask to Sergio Fontana, president of the Archaeological Foundation of Canosa, and hiding Father Felice Bacco behind a cross.

Mr Lomuscio has since said he is willing to revise the work before it goes back on display.

Related posts:

Man ‘lived in airport in secret for three months’ – as COVID made him ‘too scared’ to fly home ‘Worst mice plague in decades’ hits New South Wales as hospital patients bitten Facebook takes down official page for French town called Bitche ‘A fitting end to an illustrious career’: Accolade for retiring police pooch after heroic chase ‘Dracula’s castle’ offers visitors COVID jab and free visit to torture exhibition Lads’ day out! Seven bullocks take over town after escaping from field Man who died 3,000 years ago is earliest known shark attack victim Sound of Moosic: Swiss cows airlifted off mountain pastures Shaving foam tradition enjoyed by hundreds of university students Australia’s ‘biggest-ever’ hailstones damage cars and shatter windows Bird of the year controversy after contest is won by a bat Police officers fired for ignoring robbery in progress to play Pokemon Go