Australian billionaire Gina Rineheart, the richest woman in her country, has recently found herself in "hot water" after she attempted to demand the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), which housed the artwork, to remove an aboriginal artist's portrait of her likeness last week.
Ironically, her efforts to hide the painting backfired as more people became interested in seeing the work in person and voicing out their own two cents regarding the now-global row.
Gina Rineheart's Controversial Demand Against the NGA
The piece is part of a larger collection of works showcased by the artist Vincent Namatjira at the NGA's Canberra Gallery. The exhibition itself was dubbed "Australia in Colour," comprising 21 colorful and satirical depictions of highly influential people who shaped the country.
From a King Charles portrait painted in a wobbly fashion to a canvas portraying the former prime minister Scott Morrison in the middle of speaking, Namatjira's works for this particular show were intentional but artistic caricatures of the subjects.
However, one portrait caused the most commotion out of all of them. Placed on the second row, third from the left, this piece's subject matter was vocally unhappy with her inclusion on the show.
Said person is Rineheart, whose depiction was described by the Guardian and the Sydney Morning Herald as "unflattering," with its exaggerated chin folds, pinkish skin tone, and frown-leaning lips.
The Sydney Morning Herald first broke out the news regarding Rinehart's disapproval of the work, where she personally asked NGA's director and chair, Nick Mitzevich and Ryan Stokes, respectively, to take down Namatjira's portrait of her.
This request was declined by the museum, with the institution saying in a statement: "The National Gallery welcomes the public having a dialogue on our collection and displays."
Since then, contrary to Rineheart's request, the controversy blew up and was more publicized than it would have been before.
The magnate seemingly fell victim to the so-called "Streisand effect," coined after Barbra Streisand submitted a 2003 lawsuit trying to take down a bird's-eye-view of her house from a website, before ultimately producing the press buzz herself.
A very similar situation happened to Reinheart as the NGA told The Guardian that it had experienced a spike in visitors wanting to see Namatjira's exhibition since the controversy went public, including its digital channels.
Even this week, interest in the painting lingers, with the public's curiosity peaking last Saturday, May 18, according to Google Trends. Truly the "Streisand effect" in play.
