HUNDREDS of Sevillanos have been left ‘furious’ after the official release of the city’s Christmas poster was ‘too sexual’ and looked like a ‘gay sauna advert’.
Since the poster was released by the Association of Belenistas last Saturday, locals have taken to social media in their droves to criticise the design.
#Navidad en #Sevilla pic.twitter.com/MeRV4UjkLm
— Miguel Vivas (@mvivaslin) November 27, 2017
The young local artist behind the poster, Manuel Peña, specialises in ‘baroque hyperrealism’.
The poster shows the archangel Saint Gabriel holding a Giralda from which a lily is emerging – a symbol of virginity.
One local said the poster was ‘horrible’ because it reminded him of ‘gay sauna adverts’.
“Now I understand why we serve as a joke for the rest of Spain,” he said.
Less sensitive locals chose to see the lighter side of things, with one seeing an uncanny resemblance to Madrid striker Griezmann.
¿Qué hace el delantero del Atlético de Madrid Griezmann, en el Cartel de Navidad de Sevilla? pic.twitter.com/uPh2hZvxS1
— Chino de China (@unchinodechina) November 27, 2017
The Association of Belenistas of Sevilla has since published a statement on its website, saying the poster was their full responsibility and they regret ‘any controversy that has been caused’.
The author of the work posed with the model he based his archangel Gabriel on.
“One of those stars that life puts in one’s way,” he wrote.
Every reasonable sized city or town in Spain has its own association of belenistas. They meet throughout the year and build Nativity Scenes for their own displays and also build on commission for banks, the City Hall, and other institutions.
Pathetic, they don’t even know what a Gay Sauna advert would look like and this is not one of them. Anyway Angels are not supposed to have a defined sex male or female.