| In 2005, the Today Program of Radio 4 and | | | | of the celebrity society of approximately 1,600 |
| National Gallery summer scheme were in the | | | | people were willing to pay him for a portrait. In |
| search of Britain's greatest painting. Controversy | | | | 1979, when his artworks were exhibited in the |
| loomed around this scheme, which was seen as a | | | | Whitney Museum of American Art, the judges |
| great way of celebrating art. At first, it was the | | | | accused him of exploiting the Jewish community |
| competition for the famous painting and later it | | | | for money. |
| turned out to be for Britain's greatest painting. | | | | Artist Andy Warhol's 'The Marx Brothers' (1980) |
| Artist Jack Vettriano, whose paintings adorned | | | | made a re-entry in the Jewish Museum on March |
| numerous greeting cards, was not in the top 10 | | | | 16 as 'Warhol's Jews: Ten Portraits Reconsidered'. |
| list. An arts work by Rembrandt, voted for the | | | | Other portraits that appeared in the exhibition |
| most popular painting, was unable to find a spot in | | | | were the works of artists Albert Einstein, Franz |
| the top 10. A panel of three, including a critic, an | | | | Kafka, George Gershwin, Gertrude Stein, Golda |
| artist, and a BBC Governor, decided the fate of | | | | Meir, Louis Brandeis, Martin Buber, the Marx |
| these paintings in the list. The famous painters, | | | | Brothers, Sarah Bernhardt, and Sigmund Freud. |
| Francis Bacon, Pablo Picasso, and Lucian Freud | | | | Another latest controversy troubling the arts is |
| were not given their due artwork credit. No | | | | the work of Adam Cullen in Australia's top prize |
| painter from the 21st century was included in the | | | | for religious art. The controversial painting has the |
| list. The work of David Hockney's Mr and Mrs | | | | line "only women bleed," engraved on the Cross |
| Clark and Percy (1970-71) was the only painting | | | | with Christ. The line is inspired from an Alice |
| of the 20th century to be enlisted. The oldest | | | | Cooper song. One of the Blake Prize judges had |
| painting in the list was Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van | | | | quit the panel, strongly condemning this painting. |
| Eyck, which dates back to 1434. Half of the | | | | Painters are relying on religious images to obtain a |
| paintings were of the 19th century. | | | | top position in the list. Another controversial |
| The painter of "The Marx Brothers" (1980), Andy | | | | religious image was that of Melbourne party boy, |
| Warhol, was amidst arts controversy quite | | | | Corey Worthington as Jesus. The last thing the |
| recently. Warhol became rich and famous when | | | | prize organizers wanted was any controversy |
| his painting, "Ten Portraits" was exhibited in the | | | | after the last year's provoking works of the |
| Jewish Museum. Warhol accumulated a lot of | | | | statue of Virgin Mary in a burqa and a hologram |
| money through painting portraits. He would | | | | of Christ resembling Osama bin Laden. The Prime |
| produce portraits for people who offered him | | | | Minister John Howard and the Archbishop of |
| more than $37,000 for a print. The crème | | | | Sidney were aghast over the artworks. |