Painting Depicts Obama as Crucified Jesus Christ

A painting that depicts President Barack Obama as a crucified Jesus Christ is prominently on display at a Boston community college art gallery.

Michael D’Antuono, who painted Obama with his arms outstretched on a cross with a crown of thorns on his head, said he actually painted the picture four years ago. The painting was supposed to debut then in New York but the event was canceled due to public outrage.

“The crucifixion of the president was meant metaphorically,” D’Antuono told Fox News. “My intent was not to compare him to Jesus.”

D’Antuono said the conservative media is trying to “promote the idea that liberals believe the president to literally be our savior” and has received e-mail messages that have been “anything but Christian-like.”

“But I accepted that it is their right to express themselves and hope that they now see it in their hearts to afford me the same right,” D’Antuono said, nothing that he had regretted canceling the event four years ago because “we should celebrate the fact that we live in a country where we are given the freedom to express ourselves.”

The painting, which is called “Truth,” is on display at the Bunker Hill Community College Art Gallery until Dec. 15th and is a part of the “Artists on the Stump — the Road to the White House 2012” exhibit.