Edinburgh Airport Nude Picasso: Poster Painting Back On Display After Complaints [PHOTO]

In an about-face, the Edinburgh, Scotland, airport will not cover up a poster of a Picasso nude in one of its terminals after the move evoked outrage and ridicule.

The poster of Spanish artist Pablo Picasso's "Nude Woman in a Red Armchair" was promoting the Scottish National Gallery Museum of Art's Picasso and Modern British Art exhibition, according to the BBC.

The Edinburgh airport decided to cover the promotional poster showing the nude Picasso with white vinyl after some passengers complained it was too risqué.

An airport spokeswoman said it came to that decision as "a reaction to passenger feedback, which we do always take seriously," AFP reported.

But then that decision produced a backlash headed by John Leighton, director-general of the National Galleries of Scotland, who called the decision to cover up the nude Picasso "bizarre."

"It is obviously bizarre that all kinds of images of women in various states of dress and undress can be used in contemporary advertising without comment, but somehow a painted nude by one of the world's most famous artists is found to be disturbing and has to be removed," Leighton told the BBC. "I hope that the public will come and see the real thing, which is a joyous and affectionate portrait of one of Picasso's favorite models, an image that has been shown around the world."

Now the Edinburgh airport has reversed the decision and the nude Picasso image can be viewed by passengers in the terminal.

"We have now reviewed our original decision and reinstated the image," the spokeswoman told the BBC. She said the airport is "more than happy to display the image in the terminal and we'd like to apologize, particularly to the exhibition organizers, for the confusion."

The Picasso and Modern British Art exhibition runs until Nov. 4 at the Scottish National Gallery Museum of Art.