People who objected to the subject matter of "Obsession and Murder", a painting of the murder scene of French woman Sophie Toscan du Plantier, were "missing the point of the work", said the chairman of the Countess Markievicz Trust.
Mr Liam Carlin said some people had misinterpreted the intention of the painting by Co Cork artist Ms Katherine Griffiths who won the Markievicz gold medal for it. "Some people rather misunderstood it I fear. It's not in anyway a praise of murder, the artist was just answering to the theme of the ambiguity of love and how terrible it can be when obsession leads to murder."
The artist was "making assumptions" in presuming that a form of obsessive love gave rise to the murder. "We still don't know who committed the murder so it was an assumption, but I think that came across in the painting."
The two adjudicators who choose the painting, Mr Campbell Bruce and Mr John Coyle, professors at the National College of Art and Design, made their selection on the basis that Ms Griffiths's painting gave the best response to the theme, which was love in all its aspects. Mr Carlin said most people had been very supportive.
Ms Toscan du Plantier was murdered near Schull, Co Cork, in 1996. The painting depicts her holiday cottage and the murder scene.
No one has been convicted of the murder. However, the file is with the DPP.
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