Berlusconi 'touches up' Italian masterpiece that showed too much breast

The 71-year-old worried that cameras would focus on the naked woman's chest in the painting hanging behind him during his press briefings.

The copy of Time Unveiling Truth by Giambattisto Tiepolo now has a white veil painted over the offending bosom.

Insiders also said that the feelings of female members of his cabinet - including equal opportunities minister Mara Carfagna, a former topless model - had been considered.

Cover-up: An artistic Berlusconi aide painted a veil over the naked woman's breast on a copy of Time Unveiling Truth which forms a backdrop to his press conferences in the Italian capital

A copy of  the 254-year-old masterpiece Tiepolo was chosen as the backdrop of the PM's media briefing room in Rome shortly after Berlusconi swept back to power in April.

Photographs and TV footage have now revealed that up until a few days ago the naked, firm and well rounded breast of Truth which was fully exposed has now been covered by a white veil - thanks to a Berlusconi aide who proved to be a dab hand with a brush and a pot of white paint.

Yesterday leading Italian art critic Vittorio Sgarbi told Corriere Della Sera: 'What have they done? This is madness, absolute madness.

'So what are they going to do with all the statues of naked women scattered in museums throughout Italy with busts that would take Pamela Anderson's breath away?

The 254-year-old masterpiece by Giambattisto Tiepolo in its original glory

'I hope that whoever came up with this absurd, mad, pathetic, comic and futile idea did so without the knowledge of the Prime Minister.

'Maybe they wanted to do him a favour by not letting Italians associate a breast with his image, but if anything it has done the opposite.'

A furious Mr Sgarbi added: 'You cannot touch up a Tiepolo.'

Yesterday a spokesman for the Prime Minister said: 'The decision was taken to cover up the exposed breast for fear of offending the sensibilities of people watching press conferences.'

La Stampa compared the cover-up of the exposed breast to the censorship imposed by the Vatican of Michelangelo's naked figures in the frescoes adorning the Sistine Chapel.

The governor of the Veneto region, which includes Venice, Giancarlo Galan also criticised the cover up of the painting.

He said: 'It is not good to offend Tiepolo.

'The author of this grotesque and absurd gesture should be punished as they have offended a particular artist.

'The Prime Minister's office have managed to offend one of the great artists of liberty.'