Blair avoids wrong exposure

Royal Academy was 'delighted' at Mr Blair's presence

Ever sensitive to press interpretation, Downing Street moved to prevent a photographer taking pictures of Tony Blair with an androgynous youth, it has emerged.

Not as sensational as you might at first think - the suppressed image was of the prime minister looking at an exhibition of Italian art at the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in London.

The prime minister would rather choose not to get into the anatomy of this particular story

Downing Street spokesman

But Downing Street deemed such an image unsuitable for a man of Mr Blair's stature.

He opened the Genius of Rome exhibition and in the end was only photographed observing the pictures.

Overexposed?

BBC political editor Andrew Marr said that Downing Street had told him that Mr Blair "would not be photographed in front of an androgynous youth".

The prime minister's people were also less than enthused by a suggestion that he pose in front of Annibale Carracci's Hercules at the Crossroads painting, which features the titular figure naked.

Avoided unnecessary exposure

On that occasion the photograph was rejected out of hand because it would have provided the wrong kind of exposure right by Mr Blair's head.

Admiring art

The RA confirmed that the photographer involved was instructed to show the prime minister admiring the art.

A spokeswoman said: "We cannot comment on why - Downing Street just requested that this was the case.

"We were just delighted that Tony Blair came to open the show."

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The prime minister would rather choose not to get into the anatomy of this particular story."